Vice Ganda urges youth to limit social media use despite massive following

Comedian with 15 million followers on X tells UAAP athletes to consume less online content.

When asked during the recent UAAP Season 89 opening ceremony’s post-event press conference what advice she would give to student-athletes, Vice Ganda had a simple answer: consume less social media.

The “Unkabogable Star,” who became the first Filipino to reach 15 million followers on X (formerly Twitter) in 2023, warned young people and student-athletes against letting social media take up too much of their lives.

“Social media is not life, social media is not education,” Vice said, arguing that spending too much time online can leave people with less time for the things that truly matter.

For Vice, the problem is not simply being on social media, but allowing it to consume too much of one’s attention. “Social media is no longer as beautiful as it was. Mas toxic na siya kaysa sa fun, mas negative na siya kaysa sa positive,” she said.

She pointed to the things young people could otherwise spend that time on, including talking to their parents and siblings, eating together with their families, studying, and working on their assignments.

For student-athletes, the consequences can extend to their performance. “If you’re an athlete and you read negative comments about your performance, it can affect your mental health, and that affects your entire performance,” Vice said.

Despite her own massive digital presence, Vice said she does not personally consume everything happening on social media. She has a social media team that keeps her informed about what is happening online, while she limits how much of it she personally consumes.

Her recent UAAP appearance reflected that same idea of using visibility with intention. Returning to her alma mater as a performer, Vice said she saw the opening ceremony as a chance to reach students, whom she described as “gamechangers,” and share something beyond the spectacle.

Vice has built a career around being seen and heard by millions. At the UAAP, she used that same reach to tell the young people listening that they do not always have to be online to be part of the conversation.

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