According to researchers at Penn State, TikTok can be an effective tool for farmers to raise awareness and cultivate empathy about climate change and its impacts.
They analyzed users’ reactions to climate-focused TikTok videos farmers posted and discovered viewers responded with warmth and compassion. However, the content wasn’t as successful in stimulating cognitive understanding where viewers actively engage in discussions or further their knowledge of the content.
Researchers also discovered how TikTok can be an ideal platform for users to learn more about farmers responsible for the food on their plates and other daily advantages. Moreover, the work tackles how food production contributes to and affects climate change.
They executed a two-step analysis to learn TikTok’s potential to promote climate change dialogues. They examined user engagement with farmer-generated TikTok videos from the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference in late 2021. Their sample included 29 TikTok videos with almost 3,000 conversations from six countries.
The team interviewed 12 farmers active on TikTok from four countries to gauge their sentiments about discussing climate change on the platform. The farmers said Tiktok helps present a straightforward argument using playful and humorous towns to promote more constructive discussions when two parties disagree.
In the meantime, the researchers said additional students could explore how content can trigger emotional empathy and foster cognitive empathy.