The potential of social media influencers to promote sustainable consumption patterns

To combat climate change and its consequences, it is vital that people change their behaviour and consume less. This project aims to explore the potential of social media influencers to promote sustainable consumption patterns amongst young adults (18-25 years old). First, a content analysis of influencer content aims to gain insights into the proportion of commercial vs. eco-content and the way influencers communicate about climate change, consumption, and sustainability. Second, an online experiment with 3 waves aims to understand which messages impact young adults’ climate change awareness, materialism, and consumption patterns, in the short- and long-term.