How Social Media Transformed Filipino Students’ Culture

Before, students are known for their conservatism, obedience, and great respect to the elderly.
They first entered school accompanied by their parents for they barely associate themselves
with the new world around them. On the first day of every school-year, serenity occupies the
classroom. Everyone is hesitant to move and even utter a single word to his seatmate. When the
teacher arrives, their adrenalin would command them to stand and greet with an eager smile as
a sign of regard to the leader in front of them.

When it comes to developing social relationships among these students, one has to exert effort
in order to be part of a friendship circle. The forms of bonding require physical interaction as to
sports and most importantly each of them plays an active role in serving as back-support for one
another. They conduct group study, overnight review, and fun-filled projects accomplishment
during the weekends. Eating together in the school’s canteen not mindful of the deafening noise
and scorching heat inside plus the sharing of finger food are just few of the activities they enjoy
everyday.

Conflicts, on the other hand, arise inevitably. But in the old times, it only reaches the extent of
eye-rolling to non-conversing. After a matter of few days, reconciliation takes place. What’s
good about it is it is usually initiated by other members of the circle if not by one of the two
parties in conflict or even both. Then after, the friendship goes on as if nothing happened unlike
the implication of the cliché which says, “A glass when shattered cannot anymore regain its
original form.”

Today, everything seems to transform into something unrecognizable, completely strange to the
past generations. Talking about conservatism, students nowadays flaunt their figures in the
public as they follow a pattern of trends in their clothes they see on facebook and instagram.
They also seem to have already excluded the word obedience in their vocabulary for they insist
on what they believe thinking they are more knowledgeable than their teachers. Much with the
issue on respect; students tweet online their dismay over their teachers. They talk about and
make fun of anyone who disagree with them in social media.

Gaining affiliations and acquaintances now is a matter of one friend request sent through the
use of facebook. Birthday greetings are done through lengthy messages in facebook posts along
the best pictures selected to earn likes and reactions. The friendship gatherings level up to
affording expensive coffee shops just to capture an instagrammable ambiance even if it costs
too much of what one really has.

Conflicts against each other get more complicated as each tries to yearn for the public’s
sympathy. No one initiates reconciliation and if it ever gets settled, it could not be back to the
old times of truest laughs and smiles and cries.

Today’s transformation of students overpowered sincerity, compassion, and respect among

students for one another.