SOCIAL MEDIA is fueling political polarization worldwide, with platforms and political campaigns being key tools for emotional manipulation.
Communication professor Rocio Medina of the Universidad de Murcia (UM) said visual communication is now key to grabbing attention and influencing public opinion, particularly among younger audiences.
“Young voters are, of course, on social media, and it’s very important to see how campaigns have completely changed from traditional and mainstream media to social media,” Medina said during her lecture on “Visual Political Polarization on Social Media” on Nov. 14.
Medina, who specializes in political communication, said this shift allows political actors to spread messages that heighten polarization, which reinforces populist movements.
“They are creating this kind of polarization approach where there will be in-groups, out-groups dynamics,” she said.
“Any polarized society is more receptive to populist appeals, because those citizens feel alienated from the other sides,” she added.
In her case study titled “Divisions in Motion: Visual Affective Polarization on TikTok During the 2024 European Parliament Elections,” Medina found that candidates leveraged TikTok to reach audiences, and combined positive and negative messaging to appear both “relatable and defiant.”
“In this digital context, visual affective polarization is even exacerbated by algorithmic duration. That means algorithms prioritize emotional charge and polarize visual context. So it’s creating even more deep and ideological segregation,” she explained.
Medina noted how visuals affected people’s perception of a particular story, which was evident through a theoretical approach called “visual framing.”
Various tools of artificial intelligence like deepfakes can contribute to polarization, disinformation, and the spread of false narratives, she said.
“When we talk about visual affective polarization, first of all, we understand visual communication, then visual framing, and…visual affective polarization,” she said.
The study concluded that “humorous and emotionally charged” posts achieved the highest engagement on TikTok, while more deliberative or serious content tended to perform poorly.
“TikTok really plays a central role in driving affective polarization by reinforcing group identities and manipulating emotions,” Medina said.
The lecture, hosted by the UST Department of Journalism and the Research Center for Social Sciences and Education, was part of initiatives toward an academic partnership between Universidad de Murcia and UST.
Medina’s lecture was followed by a discussion by journalism faculty member Jose Maria Carlos of his new book titled, “On-Air Na! Pinoy News Anchors Live!”
