FYP (Filipino Youth Political Participation): An Exploratory Study on the TikTok Online Political Engagement to Offline Protest March Participation of UP Political Science Majors

Abstract

This study examined the influence of political engagement on TikTok in motivating Political Science majors from the University of the Philippines (UP) to participate in protest marches. As TikTok emerged as a platform for political discourse and activism among Gen Z, understanding its impact on offline political actions became crucial. Guided by the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), this research explored how users actively engaged with TikTok to fulfill their political needs and motivations. Through qualitative interviews with Political Science majors from UP Manila, Diliman, and Tacloban campuses, the study identified three distinct forms of political engagement on TikTok: latent engagement (passive watching and content evaluation), follower engagement (following accounts aligned with political values), and expressive engagement (commenting, reposting, and content creation). Notably, while system engagement was conceptually significant, the study found no instances of manifest engagement among the respondents. The thematic analysis revealed that follower and expressive engagements were the most influential in motivating protest participation, serving as catalysts for awareness, social, and emotional connection. Factors such as content limitations, algorithmic biases, anonymity, and security concerns also affected the translation of online engagement to offline participation. The study concluded by discussing strategies to enhance the mobilizing potential of TikTok as a tool for youth activism, emphasizing the need for content that amplifies their motivation for protest participation, along with offline engagements that can catalyze on-the-ground activism.