<![CDATA[Verified badges on social media were initially introduced as markers of account authenticity. Over time, they have become associated with credibility, influence, and public recognition. This study examines how verified badges function as symbolic capital in the formation of digital legitimacy and symbolic violence on social media. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of symbolic capital, distinction, misrecognition, and symbolic violence, this research employs a qualitative case study approach. Data were collected through documentation and observation of social media conversations involving a cardiologist and an aesthetic physician whose posts generated public debate. The findings show that verified badges function as symbolic capital that shapes distinction and digital legitimacy through collective recognition. Public trust is influenced not only by professional competence but also by personal experiences, digital opinions, and collective recognition. The study demonstrates that authority struggles on social media arise from competing forms of legitimacy seeking public recognition in digital spaces]]>
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