Students as citizen scientists on social media: how do learners evaluate science communication on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube?

As part of the Citizen Science Awards in Austria, the project “We Talk About Science” explored how students interact with and assess science communication on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Over three months in 2023, 21 school classes recorded 3,654 instances of science communication content. The study found significant differences in students’ abilities to critically evaluate this content, influenced by platform type and gender. Instagram posts received lower evaluations, and boys rated posts on Instagram and TikTok more negatively than girls. These findings highlight the need for educational initiatives to improve students’ critical analysis of science communication.