Does YouTube assist in mitigating global warming? A content analysis of YouTube videos and sentiment analysis through viewers’ comments

To mitigate the effects of global warming, there is a need to increase public awareness and knowledge as the global temperature continues to rise. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to evaluate how YouTube facilitates the dissemination of information and awareness about the notion of global warming. This study also shows the types of information available in global warming-related YouTube videos and the types of channels that upload these videos most regularly. In total, 443 videos and 25,993 comments were collected from the YouTube platform using the “Webometric Analyst” software and various search strings using the YouTube API key. The attributes of videos were evaluated with MS-Excel, while the sentiment of comments was analyzed with R-Studio. In 2006, only one video was submitted, however in 2022, 108 videos were uploaded, indicating that the demand for video uploads is steadily increasing. Two hundred and sixty-six videos (60.05 percent of the total) were uploaded with a focus on the meaning and concepts of global warming, whereas just 24 videos highlighted the causes of global warming. While uploading videos about global warming, developers also use phrases such as “climate change” and “greenhouse impact.” By analyzing the comments, it was discovered that the majority were favorable, indicating that viewers were content with the accessible videos. To understand the idea and concept of global warming, YouTube has a sufficient number of videos, however to know the causes or reasons for global warming, YouTube has a very limited number of videos. Therefore, additional videos on the causes and reasons for global warming are required.