MABALACAT CITY COLLEGE SOCSCI 101 | UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Week No. _5_

Lesson 5: Political Aspect of Self and Digital Self

Sustainable Development Goals: Learning Materials:

SDG 3- Good Health & Well-Being Objects, devices, tech gadgets, or real
objects for content presentation or
SDG 4- Quality Education student activity.

SDG 11- Sustainable Cities and Communities

SDG 17- Partnerships for the Goal

Learning Objectives:

1. Define what constitutes the political self;

2. Identify positive and negative Filipino values and their

implications to economic development;

3. Define what constitutes the digital self;

4. Identify factors that influence one’s online behaviors, and,

5. Analyze and evaluate one’s digital behaviors and identify

ways to manage them effectively.

Lesson Preview/Review

Material Self and Spiritual Self.

Overview

Understand the values contributing to the formation of a unique identity, by promoting nationalism, and
showing respect for law and human rights. Determining factors contributing to the possibilities of self-
extension through the advancement of technology and other social networking platforms.

Concept Notes/Teacher-Led Discussion

Political Aspect of Self

- This self rejects the individualistic view and focuses on collective welfare- for the people and the country
- Set of values, such as nationalism and respect for the law and human rights, serves as guide and norms of every
individual to become ideal citizens

1
 MABALACAT CITY COLLEGE SOCSCI 101 | UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
Week No. _5_

- Man is a “political animal”- Aristotle; humans come together and form a political body towards the attainment
of a good life
Characteristics of Philippine Political Culture

1. Dominance of family ties or kinship system

In local government units such as the municipality and barangay, big clans dominate the political arena. Political
Dynasties usually control the government.

2. Euphemism

Officials and employees in lower positions are not frank or straightforward in criticizing officials of higher ranks.

3. Utang na loob

Filipinos feel obliged to repay immediately or in the future any favor they receive from another person. They
always look for an opportunity to return any favor given to them.

4. Sense of overdependency

Some constituents rely on an elected official or a “patron” politician for their personal and economic needs.

5. Belief that majority of politicians are corrupt

Filipinos believe that politicians are corrupt and are in government service only to promote their vested interest and
not the public interest.

6. Lack of political maturity

People elect officials based on popularity and personality and not on the performance and platform.

The Art of Becoming Politically Mature by Nick Price (2018)

Lesson 1: There’s always another Election

It’s very possible that the candidate that I’m pulling for will lose. But I’m realizing that’s okay. Just because they lose this
time, or my preferred party doesn’t come out on top, there is always another election. I have the great gift of being able
to vote… again and again and again. So, I’m committing to not giving up. To stay informed and keep voting.

Lesson 2: My Representative Still Represents ME

Even if my top pick didn’t win, I need to remember that the person who now occupies that seat is still my
representative. As such, he or she answers to me. So, I need give my elected officials a call. I need to write their offices.
Show up at their local events. Let them know what issues concern me and ask them to seriously consider the impact
their position will make on their constituents.

Lesson 3: Read. Listen. Learn.

And I’m not talking about checking in for 60 seconds to my favorite 24-hour news network. Really read. Yes, read deeply
and from a variety of perspectives on the issues. I need to get a couple of newspaper subscriptions and take in what is
going on over my morning cup of coffee. Furthermore, I need to learn to listen, to tune in to longer conversations on the
radio or television in which the candidates and officials themselves are sounding off at length about their positions and
the issues that they see as central. I can’t let someone else do my thinking for me. I need to learn as much as I can and
weigh my options.

Lesson 4: Pursue GREAT Conversations

I’ve started opening my door to every person handing out a political flyer in my neighborhood. Why? Because it is a
chance to learn more about the candidates and have some awesome conversations about the issues that matter. I’m
getting to know people on both sides of the aisle. So my encouragement to you is this: don’t close yourself off from

2
 MABALACAT CITY COLLEGE SOCSCI 101 | UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
Week No. _5_

having those conversations. If you get an invitation to a local meeting of the Democratic or Republican parties, GO! Hang
out with them. Ask good questions. Learn about the positions and encourage them to consider other perspectives.
Showing up can have more of an influence than we realize. Let’s open the door, take the phone call, and accept the
invitation.

Lesson 5: Run for Office

Yes. Some of us should consider it. That is what I admire most about my friend. He believes he can make a difference
and decided to run for office. Sure, he might lose, but there’s always the next election. The important thing that he
taught me is that politics isn’t a game to win. It’s about leading change well and realizing that sometimes, just by
running, you can shift the conversation and highlight issues that wouldn’t have otherwise been addressed. So if you are
feeling inspired to run, then go for it! Your voice matters. Use it well.

Digital Aspect of Self

- How one expresses himself or herself in various online platforms

- The self that is presented online can be regarded as “extended self”
- The information, activities, ideas and thoughts that a person uploads on facebook or any other social networking
sites represent how he or she wants to be perceived in a virtual space
- Redefining and recreating oneself digitally
Social media biology: Dopamine and oxytocin

The pull of social media addiction isn’t all in our heads. It’s quite real, thanks to two chemicals our brains
produce: dopamine and oxytocin according to Seiter (2016) on the Psychology of Social Media.

Dopamine

Scientists used to think dopamine was a pleasure chemical in the brain, but now we know what it actually creates is
want. Dopamine causes us to seek, desire, and search.

Dopamine is stimulated by unpredictability, by small bits of information, and by reward cues—pretty much the exact
conditions of social media.

The pull of dopamine is so strong that studies have shown tweeting is harder for people to resist than cigarettes and
alcohol.

Oxytocin

Then there’s oxytocin, sometimes referred to as “the cuddle chemical” because it’s released when you kiss or hug.

Or … tweet. In 10 minutes of social media time, oxytocin levels can rise as much as 13%—a hormonal spike
equivalent to some people on their wedding day.

And all the goodwill that comes with oxytocin—lowered stress levels, feelings of love, trust, empathy, generosity—
comes with social media, too.

As a result, social media users have shown to be more trusting than the average Internet user. The typical Facebook
user is 43% more likely than other Internet users to feel that most people can be trusted.

So between dopamine and oxytocin, social networking not only comes with a lot of great feelings, it’s also really
hard to stop wanting more of it.

Social media actions: Why we post, share, like and comment by Coutney Seiter (2016)

Why we post on social media?

It’s not news that we love to talk about ourselves.

Humans devote about 30–40% of all speech to talking about themselves. But online that number jumps to about
80% of social media posts. That’s a huge jump!

3
 MABALACAT CITY COLLEGE SOCSCI 101 | UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
Week No. _5_

Why? Talking face-to-face is messy and emotionally involved–we don’t have time to think about what to say, we
have to read facial cues and body language.

Online, we have time to construct and refine. This is what psychologists call selfpresentation: positioning yourself
the way you want to be seen.

The feeling we get from self-presentation is so strong that viewing your own Facebook profile has been shown to
increase your self-esteem.

What’s also interesting for marketers is that the most prominent way we tend to work on self- presentation is
through things—buying things and acquiring things that signify who we are.

Why we share on social media?

If we like talking about ourselves so much, what would make us share something of someone else’s?

Passing information on is an impulse that we’re hard-wired with. Just the thought of sharing activates our brain’s
reward centers, even before we’ve done a thing.

Self-presentation, strengthening relationships

First, it comes back to our own self- image:68% of people say they shareto give others a better sense of who they
are and what they care about.

But the biggest reason we share is about other people: 78% of people say they share because it helps them to stay
connected to people.

Experiments have shown that the best predictors of contagious ideas in the brain are associated with the parts that
focus on thoughts about other people. This means content designed for social media doesn’t need to appeal to a
large group or an average group. It just needs to appeal to a specific person.

Social currency

And when we share the right type of content, we gain social currency—our stock goes up. 62% of people say they
feel better about themselves when people react positively to what they post on social media.

Why we like on social media?

Facebook, with more than 2 billion monthly active users is a great example of a platform where people love to like.
In fact, since Facebook implemented the “Like” button, it has been used more than 1.13 trillion times, with that
number growing by the day.

We do this because we want to maintain relationships. When we favorite and like each other’s posts, we add value
to the relationship, and reinforce that closeness.

We also create a reciprocity effect. We feel obliged to give back to people who have given to us, even in a small way.
We want to even up the scales.

A sociologist sent Christmas cards to 600 random strangers and received 200 in return. That’s the power of
reciprocity.

You see reciprocity on Instagram as well, where receiving a tag or direct message makes you feel compelled to send
one back. And anytime you receive a like on your profile, you’ll probably feel a little pull to reciprocate in some way,
whether it’s by sharing something in return, signing up for an email list, etc.

Why we comment?

Most marketers tend to think conversations with customers are hugely important. That engagement—interacting as
much as possible—is what builds long-term advocacy.

4
 MABALACAT CITY COLLEGE SOCSCI 101 | UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
Week No. _5_

So it’s surprising to find that customers don’t feel the same way. A survey of more than 7,000 consumers found that
only 23% said they have a relationship with a brand. Of those who did, only 13% cited frequent interactions with the
brand as a reason for having a relationship.

Consumers said shared values were a much bigger driver for a relationship than lots of interaction with a brand.

This is not to say that comments aren’t powerful. In fact, they can be incredibly so—there’s a phenomenon known
as shared reality that says our whole experience of something is affected by if and how we share it with others.

85% of us say reading other people’s responses on a topic helps us understand and process information and events.

This means comments actually have the power to change our minds, and science backs this up.

A study on news sites showed that comments that simply attack the author, with no facts at all, are enough to
change our perception of a topic.

On the other hand, polite reviews – even when they’re negative – cause a brand to be seen as more honest and
wholesome. Users were actually willing to pay about $41 more for a watch when they saw polite negative reviews
than when the reviews were removed.

Basically, any comment about you, anywhere online, is to a consumer a reflection of what kind of company you are.
It’s not exactly logical, but that’s how our brains work.

Social media phenomena: Selfies and emoji

Selfie craze

Historically, portraits have been about status, and controlling the way our image is perceived.

Today, they’re a way to figure out who we are. The “looking-glass self” is a psychological concept that says that we
can never truly see ourselves—we need our reflection from others in order to understand who we are.

Selfies also work because we pay more attention to faces than we do to anything else.

The profile picture is the first place the eye is drawn to on Facebook and other social media sites.

On Instagram, pictures with human faces are 38 percent more likely to receive likes and 32 percent more likely to
attract comments.

Eye-tracking studies show that online, we follow the eyes of the people we see on screen.

Viewing faces can also create empathy. An experiment added headshots of patients into doctors’ files, and found
that seeing photos of patients improved the way they treated patients.

Power of emoji on social media

Most of us are not aware of it, but we mimic each other expressions in face-to-face conversation. This is emotional
contagion, and it’s a big part of how we build connectedness.

Online, we recreate that crucial element of empathy using emoticons and emoji.

Today, 92% of people in the U.S. regularly use stickers, emoticons or emojis in their online communication, and 10
billion emoji are sent around the world every day.

What NOT to post online?

1. Sexy or revealing pictures

2. Pictures or videos of private moments with loved ones

3. Pictures or videos showing bad habits

4. Negative comments on another person’s attitude

5
 MABALACAT CITY COLLEGE SOCSCI 101 | UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
Week No. _5_

5. Announcing conflicts with other people

6. Results of competition with names of defeated participants

7. Comments showing strong opposition to certain issues

8. Foul, vulgar, indecent, and offensive words

9. Revealing one’s financial status

10. Showing family trips

11. Displaying one doing good things

12. Pictures or videos inside hospital

13. Post every single thing you do

How to fight Social Media addiction?

1. Limit the time you use for social media

2. Inform people to reach you in platforms than social media

3. Do not participate on time-consuming and never-ending issues

4. Do not post on social media just for the sake of posting

5. Read books instead of spending time reading news, articles, and issues on social media

6. Spend time to communicate personally with your family at home even to your neighbors and officemates

7. Consider the friends you have on social media; make sure they are people worth keeping in touch

References
Corpuz, R. M, Estoque, R. S. & Tabotabo, C. V. (2019). Understanding the Self. C & E Publishing, Inc. 839 EDSA, South
Triangle, Quezon City. ISBN: 978.971-98-1184-8.

Corpuz, B. B., Lucas, M. D., Borabo, H. L. & Lucido, P. I. (2015). Child and Adolescent Development: Looking at Learners at
Different Life Stages. Lorimar Publishing Incorporated, Quezon City. ISBN 971-685-721-4.

Estrada, A. T. (2011). Developmental Characteristics Of Young Children. REX Bookstore Inc. (RBSI), First Edition,
Sampaloc, Manila. ISBN 978-971-23-5917-0.

Milagros, F. F. , Mores, E. T. & Mogol, M. A. (2009). General Psychology Simplified. Books Atbp. Publishing Corporation,
Mandaluyong City. ISBN 971-0388-63-9.

Weblinks:

https://faculty.washington.edu/jdb/452/452_chapter_02.pdf https://thred.org/the-art-of-becoming-politically-mature

OFFICIAL MCC TEACHER’S GUIDE DISCLAIMER

It is not the intention of the author/s nor the publisher of this module to have monetary gain in using the
textual information, imageries, and other references used in its production. This guide is only for the exclusive use
of a bona fide student of Mabalacat City College.

6
 MABALACAT CITY COLLEGE SOCSCI 101 | UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
Week No. _5_

In addition, this teacher’s guide or no part of it thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, and/or otherwise, without the
prior permission of Mabalacat City College.

Worksheet 5:
1. My 5 personal ways on how to become politically mature.

For me to become politically mature, I will……..

1

2. Mahirap bang mahalin ang Pilipinas? Oo O Hindi? Bakit? (Minimum of 300 words) -Tagalog
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________.

3. What pieces of information, activities, thoughts, opinions, or feelings should be kept private and should never be
divulged on social media? Write your answers on the table below.

7
 MABALACAT CITY COLLEGE SOCSCI 101 | UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
Week No. _5_

Information, Activities, Thoughts, Opinions, and Explanation

Feelings

4. Take a look at the things you post on your social media accounts and answer the following questions.

a. Based on the things you post, what can you say about your online persona?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____.
b. How do you feel about your posts?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____.
c. Have you ever been involved in social media conflicts? If yes, explain how, and if no, explain your general feeling
toward social media conflicts.

8
 MABALACAT CITY COLLEGE SOCSCI 101 | UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
Week No. _5_

____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____.
d. What can you do to avoid social media conflicts in the future?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________.

e. In the box provided below, create your own pledge to responsible use of social media.

9
 MABALACAT CITY COLLEGE SOCSCI 101 | UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
Week No. _5_

Compiled by: Prepared by: Recommending Approval: Approvedby:

April Ann L. Galang EDMON Y. SAMPANA, PhD MARILYN S. ARCILLA ,RN, MAN, LPT MICHELLE AGUILAR
- -ONG,DPA
Clerk,IAS Instructor Dean,IAS VPAA

10