PHILOSOPHY

GROUP 4
Social Media: The Marionette Controller used by
the Clowns

Fake identities that thrive in obscurity and exist solely for the aim of
harassing, agitating, or hijacking an ongoing conversation continue to wreak
havoc on social media. They were called trolls, a person who purposefully seeks
to incite conflict, animosity, or disagreements in an online social community,
as defined by Internet slang. During election season, trolling has grown in
popularity as a way for supporters or loyalists to show their support to their
favored candidates. Trolls are using controversy to help their candidates rise in
the polls while dragging down others. With this in mind, they are causing
confusion and erroneous beliefs among a large number of voters.

Trolls sow discord on social media platforms by creating contentious claims

with the sole intent of spreading turmoil in practically every corner of the
Internet. During this time, the breakthrough of social media with election
season well underway, we speculate that platforms such as Twitter, Tiktok, and
Facebook are luring users down a rabbit hole of anti-social conduct. We think
that there has been massive digital misinformation circling mainly because of
the 'fanatics' and patronizers of the opposing candidates for the presidential
candidacy who unceasingly badmouth and spread unsubstantiated claims about
them which tends to propagate virally. It is a complete paradox when
exponential hearsays about the candidate for the presidency only contains
something that damages their image considering the fact that it came from
biased sources. Social media allowed users to form their own opinions on
public forums and websites, allowing people for more voter involvement
particularly like how politicians use internet platforms to communicate directly
with voters and discuss labor market reforms.
 The speculations that were stated so far were analyzed through critical
thinking and with this information, we can say that our speculations were
valid. Based on the study of the Pew Research Center called “The Future of
Free Speech, Trolls, Anonymity, and Fake News Online”, it is proven that
through the increasing number of politicians or influencers using social media
platforms, people tend to be fooled and disseminate false information and be
recruited as trolls to spread more false information to their liking. On the other
hand, we are not gullible enough to believe trolls who are showing their
support by bringing another candidate down with inconvenient facts. Or, they
can also spread the news that will be that empty can who says a lot of things
without proper facts. That being said, through careful analysis of the situation
and of the given facts, it assured us that trolls are multiplying day by day
especially with the election season starting and people, especially voters, are
being confused about whom to choose, in which case most of them are being
fooled by the fooler.

With all speculations given and validated, we can now say that social media
has a new meaning, it becomes a weapon used by the wicked to rather fool or
manipulate. Advancement in technology and the creation of online space is like
a spell where all of us can’t get rid of and something that we can’t control.
Trolls, who are the servants of these politicians who are greedy of power, tend
to emerge to give praise to their candidate which is rather paid by the
politicians or threatened to do on what they should do. Taking advantage of
others' weaknesses or personalities and deceiving them with invalid reasoning,
give rise to skepticism and bewilderment among Filipino voters which
branches into cryptic assertions. All things considered, information on social
media has little credibility because of pervading trolls and clowns, in any case,
further research and analysis are necessary to determine the validity of the
information and to avoid the puppet strings of malicious identities as to
contribute convincing facts amongst voters and give emphasis on making the
upcoming election fair and elaborate.