Abstract
This study investigates the impact of social media use on political and climate change beliefs, as well as its influence on support for greenhouse gas regulation. The American National Election Studies (ANES) 2020 Time Series data was used. Participants were 8,280 U.S. citizens aged 18 or older living in the U.S. Hierarchical regression analyses (weighted) were conducted controlling for demographic factors including age, sex, ethnicity, education, and marital status. More Twitter and Reddit usages correlated with more liberal political beliefs. Twitter use and Reddit use were positively associated with belief in climate change affecting severe weather/temperatures and belief in personal importance of the climate change issue. The effect of Facebook use was non-significant in predicting each of those three beliefs. Furthermore, more liberal political beliefs, stronger belief in climate change affecting severe weather/temperatures, and stronger belief in personal importance of the climate change issue were all related to increased support for regulation on greenhouse emissions. This study underscores the significant influence of Twitter and Reddit in shaping liberal political beliefs and cultivating awareness and concern regarding climate change. The finding that heightened engagement with these platforms correlates with firmer beliefs in climate change indicates their potential as effective channels for climate-change communication. Furthermore, the finding that individuals with liberal political orientations and stronger convictions about climate change were more likely to support regulations on greenhouse gas emissions suggests a promising approach to intervene in political and climate-related beliefs to rally public support for pro-environmental policies.
Presenters
Cindy ChenAssociate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, Sam Houston State University, Texas, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Technical, Political, and Social Responses
KEYWORDS
Social Media Use, Climate Change Belief, Support for Greenhouse-Emission Regulation
