#CourageON: Comedy is the seed of resistance for the Gen Z doomscroller

Hello!

I’m Issa Canlas, Rappler+ program lead from Rappler’s Community team. Besides that, I’m also one of the Gen Zs in the team — an ever-growing faction of kiddos that help keep things running in the newsroom. 

Last January 24, Rappler and Linya-Linya organized an event called “Mabuti Pa: Pag-usapan natin ang good governance.” It was composed of a roundtable discussion and Q&A with comedians and content creators Ansis Sy, Raco Ruiz, and Monica Cruz of SPIT Manila, moderated by our very own multimedia reporter, Bea Cupin. 

It was also the official launch of our #MabutiPa campaign on good governance, which will stretch until the 2028 elections.

It seems like only yesterday when I registered to vote, but I have actually voted three times already. And there are more Gen Zs now who are already of age to register than those who are not, which means our generation’s voice is more crucial than ever in determining the results of the 2028 elections.

It is our hope that we can mobilize the chronically online millennial and Gen Z audiences of these personalities to engage them on a topic that these creators often tackle in their content: governance. In particular, what role does comedy play in talking about good governance?

For Ansis Sy, comedy can be the starting point for discussion: “Kahit nga ‘di change of mind, basta ma-start ang isang discussion (Even if you don’t change minds, as long as you start a discussion).”

Comedy can be the mirror that reflects the sickness of a country, and, more importantly, the feelings of those who suffer because of it. “We try to be truthful, and if that truth is you’re mad, then we are mad,” Monica Cruz said when asked about the tone of SPIT Manila’s comedy when tackling consequential issues. 

Those words really struck me as an avid content consumer and doomscroller. In fact, the entire process of planning and seeing this event through was a reflective exercise as a digital native, a Gen Z kid, and a voter in the Philippines. 

I believe many Gen Zs are still finding their voice in a world that is outraged and demands change. It was very curious to hear in a recent In the Public Square episode that, despite the large numbers of Gen Z registered voters, the vote that really changed the tide for the 2025 midterm elections was the millennial vote. The millennial generation is also predicted to make the biggest impact on the 2028 elections, according to Pulse Asia Research president Ronald Holmes. 

Personally, I’m still learning how to strengthen my conviction. It is difficult not to fall into despair with everything I hear online, and sometimes, that makes working for change feel like a heavy choice. Someone entrenched in a deluge of depressing content might decide not to show up. 

But, as I’ve said, maybe we’re still finding our voice. The doom fatigue is very real, but maybe the key to persisting and resisting is finding an avenue to express your anger — in a way that still resonates with your creativity or humor.

This event showed me that protest looks different in the era of content and doomscrolling. Not that it has been replaced — after all, you still have the kids out on the streets or mobilizing in their own communities. But you are no less of an advocate if you decide that your outrage can also be channeled through making people laugh. 

Of course, the work doesn’t stop at that level. But there is a lot you can do once you are able to confront the comedy of our current affairs, rather than running away from talking about it. The moment you release yourself from the paralysis of despair is the moment you can open yourself up to learning about what matters to people and what you can do to achieve it.

Touch grass, as the Gen Zs say. Laugh, cry, and get angry together, then show up where it counts. – Rappler.com