Changing Climate, Changing Minds: Social Media's Role in Shifting Climate Change Beliefs

This study explores how social media messages influence individual beliefs, attitudes and behaviors related to climate change. Despite widespread exposure to social media, there is concern about its effectiveness in shaping beliefs and actions regarding climate adaptation and mitigation. Research indicates that many people in the United States show limited concern for climate change, underscoring the need for targeted communication strategies. By designing and implementing a survey experiment with random participants within the United States, this study examines how sharing first- person experiences of climate-related hazards on social media affects opinions about climate change, in comparison to traditional third-person news coverage. By assessing changes in beliefs and attitudes after participants view videos from two different perspectives: a) a person experiencing a natural disaster or b) a news outlet reporting on that same natural disaster, the research aims to clarify the connection between social media content and climate-related opinions and behaviors. The findings offer valuable insights for developing effective communication and action-oriented campaigns in this critical area.