New Generation Environmental Movements and Digital Activism: Cases of Kaz Dağları and Fridays for the Future

Environmental movements today unfold not only in the streets but also across digital platforms. This study compares two environmental initiatives, Kaz Dağları Kardeşliği in Turkey and Fridays for Future in Germany, to explore how digital tools interact with physical protest practices. Rather than treating these cases as examples of purely digital activism, the study adopts the concept of digitally mediated activism to emphasize the blend of online coordination with offline resistance. Using qualitative content analysis and critical discourse analysis, the research examines each movement's digital strategies, political impact, and activist narratives. The findings reveal that Fridays for the Future, driven by youth and supported by political institutions, has transformed digital visibility into policy influence and transnational solidarity. Kaz Dağları Kardeşliği, on the other hand, reflects a locally grounded struggle marked by direct action, confrontational slogans, and community-based resistance. However, it remains constrained by Turkey's restrictive media environment and limited international reach. The study concludes by offering recommendations for strengthening the digital capacities of environmental activism in politically polarized contexts while acknowledging the limitations of platform-dependent mobilization.