Sustainability and Role of Social Media

​Social media is not only a tool to communicate through; it also forms a space that shapes how we perceive concepts. And sustainability also takes different forms together with this digital culture. In this space where information rapidly enters into circulation, concepts are simplified, propagated, and sometimes they become shallow.

​In the past decade, we encountered “sustainability” in many forms on social media. First, a digital version of green movement was popularized as an extension of concerns related to the environment. Following that, sub-headings such as “zero waste,” “slow fashion,” “natural cleaning,” and “compost” started to come to the forefront in contents.

​People shopping in jars on Instagram posts, people transforming their old clothes on TikTok, tours of bathrooms that do not contain plastics on YouTube... These contents both inspired and popularized the idea of “sustainable living.”

​This visibility, however, brought about certain questions as well: How much of all these can be practiced? How much of all these involve a real transformation?

​Generation Z does not consider sustainability merely as an environmental issue. They consider it together with other issues such as climate justice, animal rights, and social equality. Social media constitutes a space for this generation to get organized and voice their concerns.

​Digital growth of global movements such as Fridays for Future, organization of climate strikes on social media, and young activists’ creating agenda through viral content are among the examples of this transformation. This media offers a space for young people to build their own discourse without needing corporate entities.

​However, whether digital activism creates a lasting change on the field is still a contentious matter. Social media is powerful in raising awareness; however, it can remain limited in transforming this into actions.

​Please check out this article here for further details.

​Social media became a powerful tool in bringing the issue of sustainability into the agenda of the masses. The impact of social media cannot be denied in terms of fast propagation of information, creation of collective awareness, and inclusion of users into the process of production. When used appropriately, social media has the potential to serve as a platform that both educates and facilitates change.

1. Power of Awareness and Spreading Information

​Sustainability, a technical and wide concept, has become more accessible thanks to social media. Subjects such as what is carbon footprint, what kind of problems microplastics create, why rapid fashion is criticized have all been explained through simple yet effective graphics, and videos.

​Contents created using Reels, TikTok, and infographics have become a starting point for people who cannot access academic publications or are newly learning these subjects. These platforms also contributed to making local issues visible. A thermal power plant protest, or a river pollution report have reached tens of thousands of people in just a few hours.

2. Raising Consumer Awareness

​Propagation of sustainability contents on social media also laid the ground for the consumers to make more conscious choices. Now, people do not only assess a brand through prices or aesthetics. They also assess other criteria such as production process, supply chain, work force rights, and packaging choices.

​Users can ask brands direct questions, start campaigns, and demand change through public opinion pressure. Especially young consumers force the companies to become transparent through social media. And this leads some brands to changing their policies over time.

​Please check out our blog post titled Climate Crisis & Roles of Individuals for further details!

3. Community Building and Solidarity Networks

​Sustainability is as much of a collective issue as it is an individual matter. And social media opened a space for communities that feed this collectivity.

​● Local seed exchange groups

​● Neighborhood communities for composting

​● Second-hand item sharing groups

​● Food cooperatives and ecologic markets

​This kind of structure became visible through social media. Digital networks also made great contributions in terms of learning from each other and building a common production and solidarity culture.

1. Visibility Race: Social media creates significant awareness in terms of sustainability of course. This visibility, however, can sometimes shadow the content itself. Sustainability risks becoming merely an “image,” an “aesthetic choice, or a “trend” over time. Being visible becomes more important than being authentic. Sustainability has become a fresh marketing material for many brands. Statements such as “eco-friendly packaging,” “ethical production,” or “recycled content” are mostly presented with uncontrolled, empty promises. Social media constitutes a great showcase to propagate these statements.

2. Greenwashing: Greenwashing (negative aspects of social media at greenwashing). Companies which do not create real transformation avoid responsibility by creating a “green” perception in the digital world. It becomes difficult for the consumer to inquire about these promises because the appearance usually comes before the reality.

3. Superficiality and Aesthetic Pressure: Sustainable life on social media is usually presented as an aesthetic form. Minimalist homes in neutral tones, cloth bags, aesthetic kitchens... This narrative defines sustainability based on visuals. However, these visuals make economic and class inequalities invisible. Sustainable living is presented as choices such as purchasing glass containers for a single time, carrying market bags full of organic products, and preferring to live in the rural areas. But these choices are materially inaccessible for many people. Thus, sustainability becomes an image-oriented privilege.

4. Performance-oriented Activism: Some social media contents are based more on “appearing sensitive” rather than creating a real transformation. Activism is reduced to sharable statements and catch phrases. Impressive visuals and viral texts come to the fore instead of depth of information. This situation weakens the sense of sustainability. Performance comes to the forefront instead of action. Campaigns can be short-lived, and their impact area can remain superficial. The patience, continuity, and depth necessary for real change remain in the background.

The impact of social media on the sustainability discourse is not limited with content creators. The platforms’ algorithms, advertisement policies and visibility preferences are also determining factors in this area.

● Role of Algorithms: The contents that come to the fore and what is presented to the user are completely dependent on algorithms. Unfortunately, this system rewards impressiveness more than depth of knowledge. As such, aesthetic and superficial narratives become more popular rather than real and genuine content.

● Advertisement and Cooperations: Some parts of sustainability themed content are shaped through sponsorships. However, these cooperations are not always transparent. The platforms should be responsible of controlling this gray area where ads are mixed with information. Otherwise, trust of users become damaged.

Social media is both an opportunity and a test for sustainability. In order for it to create a real change, contents need to be not only visible, but also genuine and action oriented. Accessible and implementable suggestions beyond aesthetic ones should come to the fore.

Online campaigns remain limited in their impacts when they are not transformed to offline movements. Awareness created on social media needs to be supported by concrete structures such as exchange days, neighborhood gardens, and local cooperatives.

A culture of “doing” rather than “showing” should be encouraged. Feasibility rather than shareability should be prioritized. Sustainability practices accessible for everyone should be popularized. Because a real change starts with small but repeated steps.

Social media did not only make sustainability visible, but it also gave this concept a new language, and a new form. Social media facilitated concepts to be simplified, young generations to be included, and information to be propagated. This speed, however, brought superficiality, image pressure and commercialization risks.

A real transformation starts beyond visibility. Actions are determining factors, not labels. Sustainability can exist on social media, but it will fall short if it only stays there. The real issue is to be able to create a practice that can go beyond the screen. It is not about following but being included.