The midterms turned politicians into content creators

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro speaks at a rally with former President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden. | Photo by Mark Makela / Getty Images

In the middle of a rally during the final week of his campaign, Josh Shapiro received his first notification to BeReal. The on-the-spot photo app has amassed a huge following amongst young people seeking authenticity over platforms that encourage more polished posts - but it's an unusual platform for politicians, who are used to more painstakingly rehearsed contact with voters.

For the Shapiro team, launching the BeReal account was a natural next step for their digital program that hasn't just advertised Shapiro as a candidate but also cast him as the leading role on the platforms young people use the most.

[Young people] see these platforms, where someone has to be wholeheartedly who they are, and they're a little bit more discerning,"...

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