Location
Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hawaii
Event Website
https://hicss.hawaii.edu/
Start Date
7-1-2025 12:00 AM
End Date
10-1-2025 12:00 AM
Description
This study investigates the climate change discourse on Facebook from 2014 to 2023, proposing a typology that differentiates advocates by issue niche position and temporal engagement. Analyzing over five million posts from more than one million accounts, the study classifies these accounts into twenty types and assess their engagement outcomes, measured by likes (low-level) and comments and shares (high-level). The findings reveal that while environmental groups are the most prolific and persistent advocates, they struggle to generate significant engagement. Similarly, government organizations and liberal political groups face challenges in garnering engagement. Conversely, politicians and celebrities effectively generate both low-level and high-level engagement. Additionally, academic institutions and science media excel in generating low-level engagement. The analysis also indicates a steady rise in conservative voices, with conservative political organizations, media, and think tanks increasingly succeeding in generating both types of engagement.
Recommended Citation
Yang, Aimei, "Examining the Influence of Issue Advocates on Public Engagement with Climate Change on Facebook: A Longitudinal Study (2014-2023)" (2025). Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2025 (HICSS-58). 6.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/hicss-58/dsm/influencers/6
Examining the Influence of Issue Advocates on Public Engagement with Climate Change on Facebook: A Longitudinal Study (2014-2023)
Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hawaii
This study investigates the climate change discourse on Facebook from 2014 to 2023, proposing a typology that differentiates advocates by issue niche position and temporal engagement. Analyzing over five million posts from more than one million accounts, the study classifies these accounts into twenty types and assess their engagement outcomes, measured by likes (low-level) and comments and shares (high-level). The findings reveal that while environmental groups are the most prolific and persistent advocates, they struggle to generate significant engagement. Similarly, government organizations and liberal political groups face challenges in garnering engagement. Conversely, politicians and celebrities effectively generate both low-level and high-level engagement. Additionally, academic institutions and science media excel in generating low-level engagement. The analysis also indicates a steady rise in conservative voices, with conservative political organizations, media, and think tanks increasingly succeeding in generating both types of engagement.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/hicss-58/dsm/influencers/6