00:00The shooting of 31-year-old Charlie Kirk and the young age of his suspected shooter
00:04have put political divisions among America's youth firmly in the spotlight.
00:09For conservatives, Kirk has become a symbol of free speech under attack.
00:13It is very concerning that some people are believing that people with different ideas or different values should be silenced.
00:21But many on the left say the focus should be on the dangers of escalating rhetoric.
00:24A recent YouGov poll found that more than half of Americans thought the country was much more politically divided than it was five years ago.
00:32That divide is reflected online too and can be exacerbated by the way young Americans get their news.
00:38A 2024 study from the Pew Research Center found that nearly 40% got their news from influencers and podcasters,
00:46many of which present their opinions as political fact.
00:49Conservative podcasters like Ben Shapiro, Candace Owens or Charlie Kirk
00:54amassed millions of online followers.
00:57Speaking after the detention of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson,
01:00Utah's governor said Kirk's shooting was a watershed moment for the nation.
01:04Social media is a cancer on our society right now.
01:07Is this the end of a dark chapter in our history or the beginning of a darker chapter in our history?
01:13We have, look, I mean, if you look at true political assassinations in this country of someone of this stature,
01:24this feels a lot like the late 60s.
01:27Kirk's assassination highlights how some political disagreements are turning deadly.
01:31The fear now is that the anger from the shooting could deepen that cycle.
