THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON VOTING PATTERNS OF NATIONAL ELECTIONS AMONG YOUNG ADULTS IN BESTLINK COLLEGE OF THE PHILIPPINES

Abstract

The current research seeks to examine the influence of social media on the voting habits of young adults in national elections. One of the focuses of the study is students enrolled at Bestlink College of the Philippines. Lately, social media platforms have emerged as crucial components of political communication, offering distinct opportunities for interaction and communication, promotion, and organization. The younger demographic, especially, has become one of the most significant groups to use social networks to interact with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to shape their political views and behaviors. The research will be carried out by integrating mixed methodologies of inquiry, including surveys and interviews. It will seek to establish their level of social media usage, its breadth, and, crucially, the kind of content they engage with, encompassing political perspectives. This research additionally examines the influence of social media participation on voting, including the length of exposure, kinds of posts viewed, and how they influence voting choices. The primary research also strives to investigate the degree of social media involvement in young people's political awareness, opinion development, and assessment of candidate options. By taking into account various demographic elements like age, gender, and socioeconomic status, in their possible interactions with different social media platforms, the research aims to illuminate the intricate underlying factors of voter turnout behavior. The results of the study are expected to offer important perspectives on how the present generation of Filipino youth is increasingly participating in political activities. In particular, by exploring the relationship between the kinds of posts consumed and the rise in voter turnout among young individuals at Bestlink College of the Philippines.