Heightened Political Awareness and Political Participation of Filipinos

There is an incoming trend in the Political Landscape of the Philippines wherein more
and more Filipinos are increasingly becoming political active. The said Heightened Political
Awareness and Political Participation of Filipinos phenomenon is attributed to the exposure of
Filipinos to the Internet, specifically the usage of Social Media.
To understand the said phenomenon we must analyze the factors influencing the by first
establishing parameters as what do we pertain about the Internet and Social Media, Then discuss
the capacity of the internet and social media to posses political power and lastly we are going to
apply evidences and theory to support the phenomenon.
Internet and Social Media
We are now living in a world without boundaries, a super-State created by new
technologies on communication, most especially the Internet. News and information coming
from the other side of the globe are disseminated within seconds. Massive amounts of data and
information are now accessible in a touch of a finger. We are now experiencing the Information
age and it has the capability to change the lives of the people and even changing the whole
world. This raises questions; What is the Internet and what are Social Media Networking Sites?
According to the Linux Information Project the Internet is a world-wide network of
interconnected computer networks (e.g., commercial, academic and government) that operates
using a standardized set of communications protocols called TCP/IP (transmission control
protocol/Internet protocol). The connection enables computer users to access data from another
computer through servers. This creates a web of interconnected computers around the globe
which communicates through the use of Internet connectivity. This connectivity has brought the
Social Media Networking Sites which we use nowadays. But how does the Social Networking
Sites function?
According Ellison and Boyd Social Media Networking Sites (SNS) is an internet based
media platforms that allow individuals to create their profile and shares or connects it with other
people (Boyd and Elisson, 2008) These are websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Google Plus, etc.
These websites enables individuals to meet strangers and lets the users to express their
ideas, opinions and just articulate everything that they embody. It is also a platform wherein
people interact with the people who are already a part of their extended social network. (Boyd
and Elisson, 2008) It provides the people an avenue to interact with other people throughout the
globe; sharing news, ideas, information and opinions thus empowering the individual to
influence other people through its usage.

Political Power of the Internet

This incoming trend in the Philippine Political Arena wherein the Individual Person
becomes an important player will provide the individual the capability to reach people in a
massive scale, with the possibility of influencing public attitude and raising awareness on
different political issues (depending on its usage). This incoming trend as we have discussed is
made possible with the use of the Internet, specifically the Social Networking Sites.
According to Dorothy Denning the importance of Internet in Political Participation is
undeniably huge. She argued that the Internet provides a powerful tool for communicating and
coordinating action. It has the inexpensive operational use and easy to access. Anyone can access
the Internet. From a single individual to groups of any size can reach a mass of people and use
the Internet to promote an agenda. Their members and followers can come from any
geographical region on the Net. (Denning, 2000)
The Internet posses huge potential in changing the political landscape of a country and
even the global political landscape. The world has seen evidences of its trend through recent
online activities which showed its true political power. We have seen governments being toppled
in the Middle East with the help of the Internet, massive global protests being planned through
various Social Networking Sites such as the #OccupyMovement, Wearethe1% Protest, Million
People March etc.
The internet is capable of influencing the behaviour of the people through two things.
First, the Internet is fully capable of reaching through a large number of people due to the
number of Internet Users. According to the World Internet Statistics the Internet has 34.5%
penetration rate on the total population of the world or around 2.5 Billion Internet Users (as of
2012). Second, the Internet provides the people vital real time news and information. Articles,
Essays and Electronic forms of Books, Magazines and Newspapers are found in it. Huge
amounts of data that used to take years of research are now accessible within seconds. Thus is
the information highway wherein majority of the Internet Users gather their information from.
This is what empowers the people through the Internet; information and audience. The people are
more willing to participate if they know more and if they possess an audience to share with,
The innovations in technology brought the Internet easier to access and cheaper to use
have brought the people an entirely new type of media wherein they can share information and
opinions. It also brought the individual a ready audience that they can reach out within the Social
Media. Advertisers have also tapped to the communications power of the Internet and Social
Media. The Internet has provided the people the modern Public Sphere.
The Internet as a Public Sphere

Peter Dahlgren pointed out that There must exist spaces in which citizens belonging to
different groups and cultures, or speaking in registers or even languages, will find participation
meaningful (Dahlgren, 2005) He is referring to the Public Sphere.
According to the proponent of the theory, Jurgen Habermas (as explained by Sara and
Frank Lennox) there is the existence of an external authority, completely independent from the
state and other political actors, which safeguards the rights of the people. This separate entity is
known as the public sphere. (Habermas, Lennox, 1974)
The public sphere is composed of groups of people that are actively participating in
discussions on the existing social and political issues. It is a Civic Space in which private citizens
could meet to discuss matters of political importance. This intellectual discourse provides a free
environment to discuss matters of importance, thereby making it possible to create solutions. It is
the realm in our Social Life from which Public Opinion emerges.
According to Sidney Verba and Gabriel Almond, in their study of the distribution and
causes of mass activism, cultural attitude of the people greatly affects mass movement. They
have argued that education (along with socioeconomic status) plays a vital role in peoples
participation. (Almond & Verba, 1989) The Internet helps in educating of the people through its
large amount of database that are easy to access. It is an avenue of learning which helps the
people to become more informed about recent events and interested in the new trends. Apathy
will no longer become a trend as result of the way of thinking that they can make a difference,
the individual can establish their agenda, their movement to encourage the large audience
brought about by the Social Media..
Filipinos and the Internet
With the number of active Filipino Internet users the possibility of it influencing the
Political Behaviour of the Filipinos is inevitable. Statistical data shows that as of June 2012
around 33.6 Million Filipinos are Internet Users, with a 32.4% penetration rate in the populace.
The Philippines is now known globally as the most active Social Media users around the
world, dominating two of the largest Social Networking sites in the World; Facebook and
Twitter. We have seen early evidences to support this trend; from the influence of Social Media
in the Public attitude of the Filipinos towards certain political issues (such as the Scarborough
Incident and PDAF Scam) and the organization of Massive protests through Social Networking
Sites (such as the Million People March loosely organized through the help of Social
Networking Sites with an estimated Three Hundred Thousand Attendees and the Cybercrime
Law protest in the Supreme Court). These are just the beginning of a new trend that will
empower Filipinos to become more active and more responsive to the current Political Issues.

The Internet, Especially the Social Media Networking Sites creates a new public sphere
wherein the interaction of the people creates an impact on the political attitude of the people. So
today, in the Information Era, Ignorance and Apathy will always be a choice. More and more
people will become politically active as a result of being more aware of current events and the
availability of mass audience.

References

Boyd D, & Elison N.

Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship

Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media Michigan State

University

Dahlgren P. (2005) The Internet, Public Spheres, and Political Communication:

Dispersion and Deliberation, Political Communication,

Denning, D. E., Activism, Hacktivism, and Cyberterrorism: The Internet as a Tool for
Influencing Foreign Policy, Nautilus Institute. The Computer Security Journal, Vol.
XVI, No. 3, Summer 2000

Habermas J.; Lennox S.; Lennox F. The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article (1964)
New German Critique, No. 3. (Autumn, 1974), pp. 49-55.

Online Sources

http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
http://www.linfo.org/internet.html