Exploring Why More American Youth Are Drawn To Socialism Lately

"Hello my name is Socialist" name tag on suit.

As American college students increasingly favor socialism over capitalism, a closer look reveals alarming gaps in historical knowledge and economic understanding that could threaten the very foundations of American prosperity.

Key Takeaways

A survey of 1,000 college students found socialism is viewed more favorably than capitalism, with 32% having a positive view of socialism versus 24% for capitalism.
College education appears to influence students toward more negative views of capitalism and more positive views of socialism.
Many social media influencers promote socialism using selective or misleading data while ignoring historical failures.
Economic successes attributed to socialism, like China’s growth, actually resulted from market-based reforms and capitalist principles.
The criticism of capitalism often overlooks its role in lifting over a billion people globally out of poverty.

America’s Youth Embracing Socialism

Free-market capitalism has been the engine of American economic prosperity for generations, credited with lifting over a billion people out of poverty worldwide. Yet a troubling shift is occurring in American colleges and universities. A comprehensive survey of 1,000 college students revealed that socialism now enjoys greater popularity than capitalism among young Americans, with 32% viewing socialism positively compared to just 24% for capitalism. Even more concerning, many students report that their college education has pushed them toward a more favorable view of socialist principles.

The Social Media Influence

Social media platforms, particularly TikTok, have become breeding grounds for socialist ideology among impressionable young Americans. Influencers with minimal economic education garner millions of views promoting socialism through simplified, often misleading arguments. TikTok star Madeline Pendleton exemplifies this trend, boldly claiming to her followers, “Socialism is working better than capitalism 93 percent of the time!” This statement references a 1986 study conducted by Marxists comparing socialist and capitalist countries—hardly an objective source for economic analysis.

China’s Economic Miracle: Socialist or Capitalist?

Many socialist advocates point to China’s remarkable economic growth as evidence of socialism’s success. “Socialism worked in China!” proclaims TikToker Dante Munoz to his followers. This narrative intentionally omits crucial historical context. China’s dramatic economic expansion didn’t begin until after Mao Zedong’s death, when the country abandoned strict socialist principles and embraced market-based reforms. The resulting economic growth came not from socialist policies but from their dismantling in favor of capitalist principles like private property rights, foreign investment, and market competition.

Millennial Discontent with Capitalism

Economic challenges facing millennials partially explain socialism’s rising appeal. Burdened by student loan debt, high housing costs, and perceived economic inequality, many young Americans express frustration with capitalism. The concentration of wealth among the top one percent fuels this discontent. Harvard economist Edward Glaeser describes this sentiment as desire for “hyper-redistribution” of wealth. However, critics argue that many issues blamed on capitalism actually stem from government intervention in markets and financialization of the economy—not from free market principles themselves.

Historical Context and Failed Experiments

Historical examples of socialist experiments reveal consistent patterns of failure often ignored by modern advocates. From New Harmony, Indiana’s commune in the 1800s to larger-scale national implementations, collective ownership and abolition of private property have repeatedly led to economic collapse and human suffering. Despite guarantees of healthcare, food, and shelter under socialist systems, these promises rarely materialize. Cuba’s healthcare system, often praised by socialist supporters, actually suffers from chronic shortages of medicine, equipment, and personnel—realities that contradict the romanticized image presented on social media.

Education Gap in Global Progress

The survey of college students exposed another troubling gap in knowledge: many young Americans remain unaware of the dramatic global improvements in poverty reduction, life expectancy, hunger alleviation, and literacy over the past 50 years. This lack of historical perspective allows socialism to be presented as a novel solution rather than a repeatedly failed system. When capitalism’s successes go unacknowledged while its flaws are magnified, students develop a distorted view of economic systems and their real-world outcomes.

Capitalism with a Safety Net vs. True Socialism

Many who advocate for “socialism” in America actually desire a robust welfare state within a capitalist framework—not true socialism with state ownership of production. This distinction is crucial but often blurred in popular discourse. The most successful economies that balance growth with strong social programs maintain capitalist cores with targeted government interventions. True socialism, with its centralized economic control, consistently produces inefficiency, reduced personal freedoms, and increased government dependency—outcomes that would likely disappoint many of its current young advocates.