Since you’re reading this article on a screen, chances are good that you have an account with at least one social media platform. Approximately 7 in 10 Americans use social media to share information, with 4.48 billion users worldwide. Between Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Discord, and the myriad other websites and apps that exist, there is no shortage of thoughts and information being shared online, every second of every day. But what are these accounts being used to say? Granted, some of them still contain too many photos of your cousin’s friend’s brunch. Even so, social media has become a space for much more than that. It is a hub for ideas, observations and community. Social media allows people to express themselves outside of a professional setting, sharing information quickly and widely with millions of people across the planet.

While network news outlets can’t (or won’t) cover every environmental issue or event, social media can. When a particularly virulent red tide hit Florida’s coast earlier this summer, the event wasn’t being reported on by any news outlets. Yet over 5.8 million viewers watched a TikTok video made by Paul Cuffaro recording the devastating fish kill that resulted. Other social media users took to a variety of platforms to capture similar grim observations like the resulting death of manatees and goliath groupers, as well as skin rash from swimming in the water.

This outpouring of photos and videos did more than go viral. It catalyzed public outrage, which led to action when the incident was linked to the breach of a phosphate pit in Manatee County that sent over 200 million gallons of polluted water into Tampa Bay. Locals in the area organized clean up groups to remove the carcasses from beaches. Many people worked to spread awareness that human pollution was to blame for the algal bloom and unhealthy water quality. One TikTok user and environmental advocate, TrashCaulin, was so struck by the severity of the problem that he made a series of videos educating followers about the red tide. In the series he explained how it occurred, the devastating effects on marine life in the area and why they should hold officials accountable for the Piney Point phosphate spill.

When the volume of interest and discontent over the fish kills on social media eventually caught the attention of news outlets, the red tide was reported on extensively. This shift demonstrates how media consumers can hold power over news content by utilizing social platforms (a strength which may be particularly useful in the age of ‘fake news’ and mistrust of journalists, which will be addressed later in the article). Without the inundation of video content on social media, many people outside of the Florida coast would never have heard about the event at all. At present, the hashtag “Red Tide” has over 27.3 million views and more than 600 videos posted on TikTok alone.

The Florida fish kill incident this summer is just one of many examples of an environmental event being catapulted into the public’s attention via social media. More and more activists are taking to media platforms, and an increasing number of causes are being championed by BIPOC women and girls who are most frequently at the forefront of environmental protection causes. In addition to organizing in their communities, this diverse group of female-identifying activists is using Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok to share their messages. Rayanne Cristine Maximo Franca is an Indigenous women’s rights activist in Brazil speaking out against deforestation in the Amazon. Isra Hirsi, co-founder of the US Youth Climate Strike and daughter of Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, connects Black Lives Matter and climate change. Ridhima Pandley, a 13-year-old TEDx speaker and member of the youth advisory council for COP 26, is an advocate for climate action and sustainability. Hilda Nakabuye founded Uganda’s Fridays for Future movement and advocates for greater racial and gender diversity in the environmental movement. Quannah Chasinghorse (Gwich’in and Sicangu/Oglala Lakota model and land protector) uses her career in fashion to elevate climate and oil pipeline activism, as well as Indigenous rights causes. Leah Thomas founded and launched Intersectional Environmentalist on five different platforms. A collective of Indigenous Gwich’in and Iñupiat activists, TikTok users, and documentary filmmakers worked together to  defend the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. And with millions of users, these platforms are home to content featuring dozens of other environmental issues in different parts of the world that are constantly being recorded, watched and shared by virtual audiences.

This content might not reach as many people from as many demographics as they do, or as quickly, if it weren’t for social media. No one needs a credential or a book deal to become an environmental activist now, they need only to pick up their phone to take action and spread awareness on an issue they care about. Some, like queer environmentalist Pattie Gonia, who felt misunderstood by their families and friends, have found a space of freedom on these platforms while also building community around environmental action. Additionally, more activists in the 30-49 year age range who previously worked via traditional channels are finding new and younger audiences by joining these platforms. This is just one of the reasons social media has become central to youth environmental activism: an individual can garner support for a cause in real time without alienating portions of their audience, as is often the case in academia. Instead, they are afforded a sense of autonomy and community by using their accounts to collect support in the forms of solidarity, organization and financial backing to address the problem.

Of course, using social media to activate people over environmental issues is also rife with challenges. For most of the lifespan of these platforms, users could post anything, regardless of accuracy. This right was protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech, but is now undergoing changes meant to mitigate the dangers of false scientific claim sharing. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are only now beginning to moderate and censor misinformation. This could be particularly relevant to climate change activism, which has faced decades of misinformation campaigns. Facebook’s recent shutdown on October 4 also made many users think twice about the safety of their personal information. The event led former Facebook employee and whistleblower Francis Haugen to urge Congress to step in and force reform of social media regulations “for our common good.”

The impact of social media on mental wellbeing has also come into question. It’s no surprise that the massive amount of media portraying violent or emotional content can be overwhelming. But just last month, leaked internal research by Facebook revealed that the network knew it was having a negative effect on teens’ mental health.  Widespread use of social media and the amount of information users are intaking has also been proven to shorten global attention span when it comes to news and trends. This is particularly concerning for environmental causes because the seemingly unlimited access to photos and videos of climate disasters and environmental degradation can serve to make such catastrophes look commonplace, causing feelings of fatalism. This can lessen the impact such media can have on people’s willingness to act to prevent similar events. Communications experts are still studying strategies to mitigate negative emotions associated with social media use while also promoting action.

Using social media in the first place is a privilege that comes with inequitable access. Many of the faces we see most often online are those with wealth and influence, and are frequently white and/or male. Performative activism is no small problem on social media either, and warrants a large degree of skepticism about who is actually making a difference for a cause and who is posting without taking action or making sacrifices.

Social media is still a nascent form of communication network, and as such has a lot of growing and reforming to do. But, it appears as though the inclination for people to take to social media to capture and address environmental problems isn’t going away anytime soon. Social media undoubtedly presents a unique set of dangers, from misinformation to mental health impacts, that can undermine environmental protection efforts and degrade trust. However, when leveraged effectively it can also accelerate the rate of information exchange and create real change for environmental issues by giving users a voice as well as a sense of community. Ultimately, social media is a resource, and like all other resources, it may be exploited or overused. If regulated and used with intention, it should not be discounted as an avenue for effecting change and mobilizing activists from all walks of life.