Abstract

Abstract This paper examines how modern political influence operates through social media ecosystems, with a focus on the Philippines as a high-exposure environment. It analyzes the mechanisms of digital propaganda, including algorithmic amplification, troll networks, and psychological manipulation. Using a systems-based perspective, the study applies a dynamic balance—feedback framework, in which human cognition is modeled as a decision-making system shaped by informational inputs and feedback loops. The paper argues that misinformation-driven imbalance in these systems leads to distorted collective behavior, including the emergence of highly loyal political support that is resistant to disconfirming evidence. Drawing on cognitive psychology, platform studies, and Philippine media research, it proposes an educational and systemic approach to restoring informational balance through improved information quality, algorithmic reform, and critical thinking cultivation. Limitations of purely regulatory solutions are acknowledged, and directions for future empirical research are identified.