Environmental learning in online social networks: adopting environmentally responsible behaviors

Abstract

Online social networks are increasingly important information and communication tools for young people and for the environmental movement. Networks may provide the motivation for young adults to increase environmental behaviors by increasing their knowledge of environmental issues and of the specific actions they can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This study examined an application within Facebook.com – the largest online social network in the world – that allowed users to post climate change news stories from other websites and comment on those stories. A survey revealed that users of the social networking application reported above average knowledge of climate change science and that self‐reported environmental behaviors increased during young people's involvement with the Facebook application. Focus groups indicated that peer role modeling through interaction on the site motivated pro‐environmental behaviors, that is, behavior that seeks to minimize the negative impact of one's actions on the natural and built world. Participation in a community of like‐minded users spurred many participants to learn more about climate change and do more to limit its impact.

Keywords:

• behavior change
• social learning
• climate change
• informal education
• knowledge

Acknowledgments

This research was conducted in collaboration with Jeff Reifman and his team at NewsCloud, Inc. and in consultation with our colleagues at the University of Minnesota who served on the advisory board: Richard Beach, Laura Gurak, Patty Mattern, Nora Paul, Loren Terveen, and Peter Benson at the Search Institute in Minneapolis. We would also like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for their generous support of this project and thank the Hot Dish participants who agreed to give us unfettered access to their experiences and insights. Five anonymous reviewers were also very helpful in suggesting revisions to improve the clarity of the manuscript.