The Impact of Social Media to Politics

Teenagers are increasingly turning to social networking channels to get political updates and information. The world wide web has established information systems that are critical in the sharing of content. The internet and other digital platforms have aided in the distribution of political discussion.

Social media platforms enable politicians to bypass conventional media channels by directly communicating with the general population. Being a prominent footprint on social networks boosts a candidate's chances of gaining authority.

While counterfeit news has some use for individuals, it also has individual and social consequences. Social media is frequently used to show up and vote either for or against a specific candidate or to express a viewpoint on a specific topic.

The election that happened in May 2022 in the Philippines for the new government was one of the most remembered elections in history. Not only because of the candidates who ran for the highest position in the government but because of how social media made a significant change in the people's minds.

Presidential ads are progressively leveraging social media to affect public impressions of contenders. Even though each platform provides different ways for the community to express themselves, they are all based on the concept of social media sites. Using media platforms, the person creating material is seldom the same person for whom the image appears on the profile.

During the campaign period of the candidates up until the election period, I was active on social media. I was really active on online platforms since it was the final leg of college and there was a lot to do. Online classes were still a thing back then, even some schools up until now use them. And since I was living in the countryside back then, my communication medium with my colleagues was through messaging apps. We were focused on getting our thesis paper done as well as finding internship opportunities. It was a lot of work but it was a lot of fun.

As I scroll through Facebook, I see a lot of my batchmates back in High School who have their own side for the candidates they like. And if you are living in the Philippines, you probably notice the "war" between two presidential candidates, as well as their supporters.

The president position is the highest position to really look over. I had my choice back then but I want to consider fair justice to all candidates so I had my own research on their profiles. It was really thorough research because I don't want to look at the rumors since I know that there will be a lot during a battle for a position.

One thing I noticed is that even though there were a lot of backups for one candidate, their supporters are letting them down. How social media, like Facebook and TikTok, took over the "information gathering" of the voters was a really shocking thing. I do look into those videos or posts but I still do research about them because anyone, from those who just want to have fun to those who want to spread awareness, can post anything they want. And it's a bit sad for me because I know that most of my batchmates are really intelligent and have that punch of critical thinking but it seemed that they were not during those times. I have seen posts that were already posted years ago but were edited to the present date and they still share them on the platform. It's a good thing for them to spread information, but, please, make it valuable. People do not deserve content that was just to bring something for fame.

Societal pressure appears to be related to political engagement.

I have seen people who were "converted" just because they don't seem to "fit in". I have a friend who was scolded by both her parents because she and her sister have different choices of candidates. She was even claimed to putting a negative influence on her little sister, which was not a good thing if I may say because I know her little sister. And she was an intelligent woman so I don't think brainwashing will come through to her.

There were many candidates who doesn't deserve to be elected, but think of the people and the country. Also, you cannot blame the people for voting for someone and say, at the same time, that you are fighting for them.