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Me trying to talk about sustainability: Exploring the psychological and social implications of environmental threats through user-generated content

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  • Elgaaied-Gambier, Leila
  • Mandler, Timo

Abstract

This research investigates citizen-consumers' representations of environmental issues by examining user-generated content. Using an exploratory approach, we collected and analyzed 856 internet memes related to various environmental topics. Our findings shed light on the human and social implications of environmental degradation. Although they use a humoristic tone, many memes suggest that the users who created and/or shared them suffer from psychological discomfort; they experience eco-anxiety, perceived lack of control, and lack of faith in the future. Our results also stress the social consequences in terms of in-group/out-group opposition. Environmental concerns emerge as an important component to categorize individuals and to define social identity. Moreover, our analysis emphasizes the existence of stereotypical representations of all the actors involved in the environmental crisis and the recurring tendency to anthropomorphize earth. Overall, we propose that engaging in content generation in the form of memes enables individuals to feel re-empowered and reduce the psychological distress they experience due to climate change. We discuss our findings in relation to relevant theoretical frameworks.

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  • Elgaaied-Gambier, Leila & Mandler, Timo, 2021. "Me trying to talk about sustainability: Exploring the psychological and social implications of environmental threats through user-generated content," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:187:y:2021:i:c:s0921800921001476
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107089
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Bram De Rock & Florine Le Henaff, 2023. "Walk the Talk: Measuring Green Preferences with Social Media Data," Working Papers ECARES 2023-17, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

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