The youth vote in the age of social media

The elections are nigh, and you’re an already-jaded first-time voter.

On the one hand, you feel (insert “idealism” and “the call of duty” here), on the other, the world will go on despite whoever gets voted into office, anyway.

You hardly turn on the TV anymore, except if it’s to watch news that has direct bearing on your life. Like NBA scores, for example, and whether you won or lost your bets on them.

The random political ad only holds your interest for the candidates’ uncoordinated dancing and sugar-coated promises. You think you can get more nutritional value from watching the food channel.

You are immune to most traditional marketing and sales pitches, having been exposed to it since early childhood. In fact, when you turn on the computer, you have the ability to bypass all the pop-ups that, well, pop up.  Of course, your parents are certainly going to vote, and are frustrated at the idea that you may not.

They try to shame you into it, and relay this in a way you can’t possibly ignore, on pain of withheld allowances and lengthy sermons.

They text you.

“ANAK, BMTO KA. D PWEDNG HND. 1ST TYM M TO. MAHYA KA NMN :’(”

Beep.

You read the text, acknowledge it with an, “Opo, chill lang ‘Nay. I’m still considering my options, you know?”

Many of the issues this year will directly affect you, and you have a vague, if not tentative, understanding of what they are. You know it’s about free education and more jobs and safeguarding against corruption. You know it’s about higher wages and lower costs of living and more food and women’s rights. You know it’s about removing dynasties and serving God and about the plight of the disenfranchised and so on and so forth.

On a deeper level, you know it’s about power, and money, and influence.

And you think, even if you do vote, is that really going to change anything? You realize how your generation is saturated and full to the brim, to the point where voting for the first time isn’t as big a deal as your parents make it out to be. Plus, the Internet is a double-edged sword in this regard. Voting isn’t any momentous occasion.

Meh, you think.

But at the same time, you realize just how much potential your generation has, the late Gen Y-ers and early Gen Z-ers.

You know you have yet to be caught up in the ideological struggle of the many parties running for this year’s elections. You know you can be very discerning voters in that regard. You know this—at least, if you tore yourself away from DOTA for a while.

If you were asked about your choice of senator, if any, it would be different from the vote of, say, a businessman pushing 50. After all, among your parents and older adults, ties have been made, partnerships, impressions, ideologies, and stereotypes have been solidly formed.

If you did vote, you were thinking of throwing a mix into the Senate. Should I vote for an independent candidate, like Greco Belgica? For the left-of-center Risa Hontiveros? The true left Teddy Casino? The old man slash comeback king Ernie Maceda? Or the dapper gentleman who wears a camisa de chino way too ironically to be believable, Sonny Angara? Why not all? Mess things up a bit. And maybe add Ed Hagedorn and his bevy of beautiful women.

You start to get excited about the possibility of your vote. What if…? What if? What if!

You are young and healthy and have the world at your fingertips. The idea of an inked finger is coming off as pretty bad-ass, now. A badge of honor. You decide, what the heck. Let’s vote.

And then you think, maybe I should turn on the TV. Not for NBA, but for real news. You start to read the papers, online commentaries, Facebook rants, blog posts, the works.

And you realize, you are young and healthy, and will be loaded up with university debt. You will be thrown into a job market with little care for your liberal education. Your paychecks will be raided to pay for the bills of the old, infirm, and tax-evading. You will be enlisted to save the country’s future, while older generations mortgage off any hope of national industrialization and progress. You will be milked like cows and robbed, and bought off with the idea that tourism and sex and the entertainment industry can keep this country going.

The bile rises in your throat.

You shut off the TV, unplug the computer, throw the paper into the garbage bin.

You think.

If this is all that’s in for me, then who really has the power to safeguard my own future?

You think some more. Then you decide.

Me. And this is why I will vote.