Alaina Wood (@alainamwood): I have almost 300,000 followers on TikTok, and here's what I've learned about using the platform for #climate communication.
A short🧵
Alaina Wood (@alainamwood): 1. Young people are worried about the future because of climate change, and it is impacting their daily lives.
Traditional mental health resources often don't work since young people cannot afford it and/or do not feel comfortable discussing it with their parents/guardians.
Alaina Wood (@alainamwood): 2. Young people want to enact climate action, but they feel like they have no power to do so.
They understand that corporations and governments cause the most damage but feel that even with their vote they won't be able to hold them accountable.
Alaina Wood (@alainamwood): 3. Climate denial doesn't go viral, but climate doom does.
Most people who spread climate doom on the platform mean well and believe it will help others take climate change seriously, but more often than not it causes climate inaction and/or eco-anxiety.
Alaina Wood (@alainamwood): 4. Young people are incredible at organizing.
There have been viral grassroots campaigns on the platform started by young people aimed at stopping Line 3, protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and so on.
Alaina Wood (@alainamwood): 5. Young people want to learn in ways that are fun and personable.
If you want to reach young people, you've got to talk to them -- not down to them.
Alaina Wood (@alainamwood): TikTok is the future of social media whether you like it or not, so therefore it needs to be the future of #climate communication too.
I've met so many scientists who turn their nose up at the platform and those who use it, but it's able to reach people like never before.
Alaina Wood (@alainamwood): There is an already established community of climate communicators on the platform who young people trust, and they include scientists, activists, business owners, and more.
Support them. Uplift them. Learn from them. https://twitter.com/alainamwood/status/1490707625809432578/photo/1
Alaina Wood (@alainamwood): You asked, and you shall receive! Here's a list of prominent TikTok climate communicators.
If I've missed someone (and I'm sure I have), there is a link to a form in the Google Doc where you can type in their username.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wZc6TzM4G47wb3IxZqaOIr3soK8wMyMUS0_i_SD39ts/edit?usp=sharing
Alaina Wood (@alainamwood): A lot of these TikTok climate communicators are also on Twitter, and you can find them here:
@BrownGirl_Green @crsacbra @ClimateAdam @dougmcneall @earth_rebranded @Ecogreguh @icy_pete @imBaela @nerdyaboutnatur @philritz1 @queerbrownvegan @SoulfulSeedBlog @RobertLepenies