SOCIAL media is playing a significant role in shaping the voting behavior of Gen Z and millennials in the May 2025 elections, the age group which constitutes the largest portion of the voting population.
This is according to a political science professor from the University of San Carlos, Niño Olayvar, who said social media plays a big role in shaping the voting behavior of the public.
Gen Z and millennials, or those aged 18-35 years old, comprise 63 percent of the total voting population in the May 12, 2025 elections.
“A large component of their behavior stems from their unique generational experiences, which include the prevalence of new technology, social media for example,” Olayvar said in an interview with SunStar Cebu on Monday, May 12, 2025.
Olayvar said these age groups have more access to information and this accessibility has allowed them to get to know the candidates.
Olayvar said one of the notable trends recently is the sharing of lists of preferred candidates on social media, especially among students.
Along with the list of preferred candidates were the reasons why they are voting for them, said Olayvar.
“We can see their preferred candidates, they also provide the reason why they’re voting for them, they explain. It allows discourse,” said Olayvar.
With the access and exposure of these age groups to social media, Olayvar said politicians have also focused their campaign strategies on social media to reach these voters.
Olayvar said candidates have maximized the use of social media by creating their own content.
He said this allowed the candidates, even those with fewer resources, to reach voters.
Campaign promises
Olayvar said the entire electorate still has a long way to go in terms of scrutinizing the promises of the candidates.
The voters, he said, should be more meticulous about the candidates’ platforms.
“Most of the candidates have generic statements, but the question is how would they do that? That’s where platforms come in… For example, candidates would promise to provide jobs. The question should be ‘how,” Olayvar said.
“We have not reached that level of understanding (the platforms). Our electorate haven’t reached that level of capacity yet,” he added. / JJL