Election Sustainability through Social Media: Information from Students’ Voting Preferences in a Philippine University

Abstract The increasing use of social media in contemporary society has transformed how individuals access information and engage in political discourses, particularly among university students. This study explores the influence of social media use on the voting preferences of university students in a government-run university in Davao Oriental, Philippines. A stratified sample of 384 university students participated in the study. Results revealed that students frequently utilized Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for election-related information. This engagement with social media appears to be linked to an increased likelihood of voting, as reflected in a relatively high mean voting preferences score of 3.80. It was found that social media use significantly influences students’ voting preferences (r=0.304, p=0.000). Based on the Rational Choice Theory (RCT), this study argues that social media provides critical election information, consequently shaping the perceptions and preferences of young voters. As a powerful tool for disseminating information, voters’ education can be contextualized to address the specific needs of university students, promoting critical media literacy, facilitating campus political engagement, monitoring online political content, and conducting further research. By leveraging social media’s vast reach and engagement potential, political campaigns can resort to eco-friendly practices by reducing plastic waste and promoting election sustainability. This is aligned with the environmental protection priorities and regenerative futures agenda in a biodiversity-rich province.