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Online Engagement with Memes and Comments about Climate Change

Author

Listed:
  • Aleksandra Kovacheva

    (Department of Marketing, School of Business, University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY), Albany, NY 12222, USA)

  • Hillary J. D. Wiener

    (Department of Marketing, School of Business, University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY), Albany, NY 12222, USA)

  • Ioannis Kareklas

    (Department of Marketing, School of Business, University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY), Albany, NY 12222, USA)

  • Darrel Muehling

    (Department of Marketing and International Business, Carson College of Business, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA)

Abstract

Social media posts, and memes in particular, offer important opportunities for social media users and organizations to disseminate information about climate change. However, as this topic remains controversial, memes often elicit comments that may oppose (rather than support) the existence of climate change. In three studies, we find that the position of the comments influences users’ engagement with the main post: when the user’s and the meme’s positions on climate change align, comments opposing the claim of the meme decrease users’ readiness to “like” the meme. We also examine social media users’ attitudes toward different comment moderating options, including disabling, deleting, hiding, or responding to comments.

Suggested Citation

  • Aleksandra Kovacheva & Hillary J. D. Wiener & Ioannis Kareklas & Darrel Muehling, 2022. "Online Engagement with Memes and Comments about Climate Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-19, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:14:p:8900-:d:867447
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Hulme,Mike, 2009. "Why We Disagree about Climate Change," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521727327, October.
    4. Huang, Jinsong & Su, Song & Zhou, Liuning & Liu, Xi, 2013. "Attitude Toward the Viral Ad: Expanding Traditional Advertising Models to Interactive Advertising," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 36-46.
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    6. Hulme,Mike, 2009. "Why We Disagree about Climate Change," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521898690, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Unay-Gailhard, İlkay & Lawson, Kati & Brennan, Mark A., 2023. "An examination of digital empathy: When farmers speak for the climate through TikTok," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 102, pages 1-1.

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