TY - JOUR
T1 - Changing the World One Meme at a Time
T2 - The Effects of Climate Change Memes on Civic Engagement Intentions
AU - Zhang, Bingbing
AU - Pinto, Juliet
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - The risks that animals and humans face from climate change are frequently featured in climate change memes. Although memes may appear to some as silly jokes, little is known of the impact they may have in the formation and spread of individuals’ perceived risk of climate change and intention to participate in climate change campaigns. This study tests the effect of climate change memes on the perceived risk of climate change and the intention of online engagement regarding climate change issues. Results show that exposure to climate change memes increases individual intentions of online civic engagement regarding climate change. Additionally, empathy is found to mediate this effect. However, risk perception of climate change is not altered after exposure to climate change memes.
AB - The risks that animals and humans face from climate change are frequently featured in climate change memes. Although memes may appear to some as silly jokes, little is known of the impact they may have in the formation and spread of individuals’ perceived risk of climate change and intention to participate in climate change campaigns. This study tests the effect of climate change memes on the perceived risk of climate change and the intention of online engagement regarding climate change issues. Results show that exposure to climate change memes increases individual intentions of online civic engagement regarding climate change. Additionally, empathy is found to mediate this effect. However, risk perception of climate change is not altered after exposure to climate change memes.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85103911517&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85103911517&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17524032.2021.1894197
DO - 10.1080/17524032.2021.1894197
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85103911517
SN - 1752-4032
VL - 15
SP - 749
EP - 764
JO - Environmental Communication
JF - Environmental Communication
IS - 6
ER -