Imagining Ecocentric Futures Through Media: Biocentric Evaluation Questionnaire for Degrowth and Non-Anthropocentric Societies

Media shape and reflect social imaginaries, influencing collective beliefs, norms, and aspirations. Video games and films frequently depict themes like urbanization, dystopian futures, and resource-driven expansion, often envisioning humanity colonizing new planets after depleting Earth’s resources. Such narratives risk reinforcing exploitative attitudes toward the environment, extending them to new frontiers. Research has shown that media, especially video games, influence societal perceptions and shape future possibilities. While largely reflecting anthropocentric worldviews, these media also have the potential to promote ecocentric perspectives. In the context of biodiversity loss and planetary imbalance, media’s role in fostering non-anthropocentric values is crucial. This study introduces the Non-Anthropocentric Media Evaluation Questionnaire (NAMEQ), a tool designed to help media producers assess whether their work aligns with ecocentric principles, and to support academic researchers and students in the study and analysis of media from a biocentric perspective. Applying this framework to 138 widely distributed video games and films reveals a strong dominance of anthropocentric narratives. While some works incorporate ecocentric themes, they remain inconsistent. The findings underscore the need for a more deliberate and coherent representation of bio-centric values in media, advocating for a shift in cultural narratives toward perspectives that recognize and respect the intrinsic value of the non-human world.