Digital technologies and media in environmental protests and the climate change movement

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Digital technologies and media in environmental protests and the climate change movement

Anila Lula, Besiana Muka

Received 19.06.2025, Revised 24.10.2025, Accepted 17.12.2025

https://doi.org/10.67524/verus4/1.2025.04

Retrieved from Vol. 1, No. 1, 2025

Pages 4-15

Abstract

The relevance of the topic is determined by the fact that digital media have radically transformed environmental activism, turning it into a global communication process with its own narratives and symbols. The aim of the study was to analyse how different digital platforms alter the strategies, organisational models, and political influence of climate movements in various sociocultural contexts. The results of a quantitative analysis of over 270 tweets, presented in previous studies, as well as available discourse analyses of visual content on Instagram, supplemented by the author's comparative review of cases in Germany, Australia, and Kenya, were used, allowing for the identification of differences in the functioning of digital campaigns. The results showed that X serves the function of rapid coordination and mass dissemination of slogans, Instagram has become a tool for visual personalisation and emotional engagement, strengthening authentic connections between activists and the audience, YouTube provided a capacity for in – depth communication through documentary and educational materials, while Facebook was a key channel for local mobilisation, particularly in countries with limited access to traditional media. Comparative analysis demonstrated that a networked approach with systemic policy influence dominates in Germany, an emotional – visual strategy prevails in Australia, while in Kenya, digital platforms play a compensatory role, overcoming the weakness of institutional communication channels. The study revealed the influence of new formats – short videos and live streams, which amplify the effect of presence and transform local protests into global events. It was established that the combination of the ritualised protest forms of Fridays for Future and the performative actions of Extinction Rebellion created a synergy that compelled political institutions to respond to climate demands. At the same time, risks were identified: dependence on commercial platforms, the spread of misinformation by climate sceptics, and the uneven engagement of audiences in different countries. The conclusions emphasised that digital media have become not merely a communication tool but a structure – forming element of protest movements, shaping new frameworks of climate discourse. Overcoming the dichotomy of online and offline spaces proved effective for climate activism. The research results can be used by activists of environmental movements in their daily work on social networks for planning effective campaigns, creating content, and countering manipulations

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Suggested citation
Lula, A., & Muka, B. (2025). Digital technologies and media in environmental protests and the climate change movement. Journal of Media & Social Change, 1(1), 4-15. https://doi.org/10.67524/verus4/1.2025.04