Mobilized and Polarized: Social Media and Disinformation Narratives in the 2022 Philippine Elections

Social media played a significant role in the 2022 Philippine national elections. Using various empirical sources, including an original pre-electoral survey, we argue that social media was critical in the production, transmission, and reception of election-related information and narratives that resulted in offline and online polarization and mobilization of Filipino voters in the 2022 elections. This article discusses the role of social media in electoral politics in the Philippines relative to other factors, such as material incentives for political partisans, prior voting behavior patterns, information consumption, and long-standing grievances. We discuss how these factors inform social media’s role in mobilizing and polarizing the Philippine electorate. We also unpack the leading disinformation narratives of authoritarian nostalgia, conspiracy theory, strongman leadership, and democratic disillusionment, which fueled support for Marcos Jr. and undermined the other candidates. In conclusion, this article discusses the implications of disinformation in the 2022 elections for the post-electoral political engagement of Filipinos and its contribution to the further political dysfunction of Philippine democracy.

动员与两极分化：2022年菲律宾大选中的社交媒体与虚假信息叙事

关键词：社交媒体, 虚假信息, 菲律宾, 2022年大选, 小马科斯。

社交媒体在2022年菲律宾大选中起到了十分重要的作用。利用各种经验性的信息（包括一个原创性的选举前调查）， 我们提出, 社交媒体在制造、传播和接收与选举相关的信息和叙事上居功至伟， 而后者导致了2022年大选中菲律宾选民在互联网线上和线下的两极分化和动员。本论文讨论了社交媒体相对于其他如政治支持者的物质激励、早先的投票行为模式、信息消费以及长期存在的不满情绪等因素在选举政治中所起的作用。我们讨论了这些因素如何影响到社交媒体在动员和两极分化菲律宾选民中起到的作用。我们也分析了激发起对小马科斯的强烈支持并削弱了其他候选人的威权主义怀旧情感、阴谋论、强人领袖以及民主幻灭等主要的虚假信息叙事。在结论中，本论文讨论了2022年大选中的虚假信息对菲律宾人的后选举政治参与的意义，及其对菲律宾民主政治进一步失调所起的作用。

Translated by Li Guo