Climate Activism on Instagram: Classifying Visual and Semantic Narratives
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62008/ixc/16/01ActiviKeywords:
Instagram, digital activism, climate crisis, big data, Social MediaAbstract
This study examines the visual and semantic dimensions of climate crisis communication on Instagram from the perspective of climate activism, focusing on periods of sustained mobilization beyond peaks of newsworthiness. Based on the analysis of 280,969 posts through big data techniques, this research identified a predominant narrative centered on aesthetics and marked by limited human representation, though nuanced by inspiring and positively framed discourses. On a semantic level, narratives range from aesthetic contemplation to climate protest and the promotion of sustainable consumption. Communication, however, faces challenges such as the influence of commercial dynamics, reliance on media figures and the limited presence of scientific perspectives. This study highlights the need for a more realistic and committed representation of human impact on the climate crisis and proposes a typology of visual and semantic narratives that could be useful as a valuable tool for future research into climate communication in digital environments.
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