As the Democratic National Convention made history with Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the first Black and South Asian woman to accept the Democratic nomination for president, the most talked-about moments in a week of "firsts" were captured by social media content creators who received unprecedented credentialed access to the convention.

The presidential election is quickly approaching with less than three months until voting day, and securing the Oval Office might hinge on winning over the youngest generation of voters, whose coming of age has significantly altered the election landscape.

One-third of adults under the age of 30 regularly use social media apps, like TikTok, for news, reflecting a 255% increase since 2020, according to Pew Research.

The Center for Information and Research on Civic Engagement and Learning revealed that young voters are consuming and producing political news more than ever, with 70% of young people revealing they got information about the 2020 election on social media.

This is why both the Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns are getting innovative and investing in their social media strategies to sway Gen Z voters.

Both parties extended invitations to hundreds of creators to their respective conventions, aiming to draw attention to their platforms and presidential candidates.

Roughly 70 content creators were invited to participate in the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last month, as confirmed by RNC officials.

The DNC reported that around 200 social media influencers were granted credentials for the convention, granting them exclusive access to private parties and events, as well as opportunities to interact and interview delegates.

They were also provided access to an exclusive "creator's lounge" separated from traditional media areas within the United Center arena. Influencers took turns capturing content from a designated seating section on the arena floor, positioned close to the stage.

"There are influencers that are way more powerful than the TV networks, way more powerful than the New York Times or the Washington Post, and way more important if you're trying to reach actual voters," said
Washington Bureau and Political Director Rick Klein in an interview with "Nightline."

"If we can motivate young voters to participate even a little bit more, the idea is that it could potentially change the outcome of the election," Klein said.

The battle for the youth vote

From former President Donald Trump's return to X in an interview with Elon Musk to the vice president's popular memes at the start of her presidential campaign, candidates vying for the presidency are striving to connect with young voters.

So far, Harris seems to have the edge -- the vice president leads Trump by 20 points among 18-39-year-olds, according to a recent
/ Washington Post Ipsos poll .

In terms of followers, Trump has a larger following than Harris, with 10.5 million followers compared to her 4.6 million on TikTok.

"I often joke with President Trump backstage at events, saying he was the original influencer. He was the OG influencer," Brilyn Hollyhand, an 18-year-old social media influencer, told "Nightline."

Hollyhand was one of the content creators given press credentials for the Republican National Convention. The high school senior was the convention's youth advisory chair, and he said it was his idea to give young social media creators credentialed access to the RNC.

"My message to the RNC after the 2022 Midterms was that the Republican Party is in a precarious situation, facing the risk of disappearing. I went into this meeting expecting it to be a tough sell. And they immediately embraced it," Hollyhand said.

Hollyhand told
that he believes anecdotally that it was a success.

"I returned to school the following week, and half of my classmates, who were unaware of the convention, became aware of it because their favorite fitness influencer posted a video or their preferred video game streamer shared a TikTok from the event ... they discovered a convention was happening and enjoyed it," Hollyhand added.

Although younger voters tend to lean more Democratic, Klein stated on "Nightline," that the more significant factor is voter participation.

"The main question is not so much how they vote, but how many of them actually cast their ballots. And that's where the excitement that can be generated by authentic communication through influencers can have a real impact," Klein stated.

In Chicago this week, Malynda Hale, an actress and social media personality with over 90,000 followers, was among the 200 influencers present at the DNC.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Hale told
' multiplatform reporter Christiane Cordero on "GMA3." "When I found out it was going to be Kamala Harris, I was like, this is going to be historical."

Hale regularly shared updates and interviews with delegates on her social media platforms while participating in DNC convention events.

"My follower count has gone up a couple hundred, just from participating in this, like yesterday. And with the #democraticconvention hashtag, I think everyone's watching right now, " Hale shared.

Many credentialed influencers say they aren't being paid by the Democratic National Convention or the campaign, but some of their trips are funded by agencies and nonprofits that share their values.

Elizabeth Booker Houston, a social justice influencer with more than half a million followers, says being funded independently allows her to maintain authenticity on her platform.

"I participated in a demonstration in support of Palestine on Michigan Avenue on Sunday while I was here. I don't feel like I'm being silenced from speaking about these issues just because I'm at the DNC," Houston said.

Some influencers attending the DNC are using their platforms to endorse presidential candidates who align with their values.

Deja Foxx, an advocate for abortion rights, was among the first influencers to speak at the DNC convention.

"We need Kamala Harris. She'll ensure a future where we have control over our reproductive choices," Deja said on the convention stage on August 19.

The Arizona native became famous in 2017 for confronting Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., about his support of defunding reproductive health and family planning programs.

"How can you take away my right to choose Planned Parenthood?" Foxx questioned Flake. This exchange was shared on Facebook by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona and garnered millions of likes and shares in solidarity.

Foxx shared that she began creating content about reproductive rights on her social media platforms. In 2019, while she was a student at Columbia University, she received a call from the Harris campaign during the now-vice president's initial presidential bid.

"Within two weeks, I was packing up that dorm room and starting a job as an influencer and surrogate strategist out of headquarters, a job that, mind you, did not exist before I got there," Foxx told
.

Fast forward to this year, the Harris campaign invited Foxx to address the Democratic National Convention as a certified content creator. Foxx stated that she hasn't been directly involved with the campaign since her involvement in 2019. She notes that she wasn't paid directly by a political action committee or the Harris campaign for her presence at the DNC; however, footage captured at the convention event will be used in paid partnerships and will be clearly labeled as such.

"Being here today, contributing to this historical moment, is a dream come true," Foxx remarked, acknowledging the potential influence her work might have on the political opinions of her followers.

"Young people are forming their political views in their late teens and early twenties, and those views will shape their lives and the future of our generation. I believe it's a wise strategy to focus on how we can guide them in developing their perspectives and opinions early on, and connect with them on the platforms they already use," Foxx said.

' Marjorie McAfee, Zoe Chevalier and Elizabeth Pekin contributed to this report.