According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, younger generations of social media users, such as Gen Z and Millennial adults, are more likely to engage with climate change-related content than older generations, such as Baby Boomers.
The research uncovered numerous intriguing findings.
Prior to participating in the survey, up to 56 percent, or the majority of respondents who identified as part of Gen Z, reported viewing content about global climate change. This compares to only 44% of the older generations.
In comparison to Baby Boomers, 45 percent of those who engaged with climate change content on social networking sites belonged to Generation Z.
“Gen Z and Millennial social media users are more likely than older generations online to engage with climate change content on social media and to express a range of emotions when they see climate-related content there – including anxiety about the future and anger that not enough is being done,” the Pew authors wrote in their report.
“Among U.S. social media users, 45% of Gen Z adults and 40% of Millennials have interacted with content on social platforms that focuses on the need for action on climate change by following an account, liking or commenting on a post, or posting or sharing content about the need for action on climate change,” the report also emphasized.
“By contrast, much smaller shares of Gen X (27%) and Baby Boomer and older social media users (21%) have engaged with content about climate change in any of these ways.”
The survey was authored by Cary Lynne Thigpen and Alec Tyson.
