Digital activism: Climate tweets that tangibly matter
- Pierre Lambert
- Jul 1
- 2 min read
In an era marked by urgent climate crises, digital activism is transforming global advocacy, playing a pivotal role in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Social media is no longer a peripheral space, it is the frontline. Young people, adept in digital tools and storytelling, are leveraging these platforms to campaign for climate justice, bridge inequalities, and drive tangible real-world change.
Youth as digital natives, digital activists
Research shows that people aged 16 to 25 use hashtags, memes and platform-switching to share climate messages at scale. They adapt to changing algorithms, blending visual storytelling with offline mobilisation. This strategic flexibility allows movements to maintain momentum, even amid content moderation and platform shifts.
Fighting clicktivism fatigue
While online engagement can reach millions, the phenomenon of “clicktivism” quick shares with little follow-through, risks diluting impact. Studies reveal a growing sense of activist burnout and reduced mobilisation. Converting digital attention into offline participation, such as petitions or town halls, remains essential to maintaining effectiveness and authenticity.
Blending online and offline: A synergistic model
The 2020 Global Digital Climate Strike, driven by Fridays for Future, amassed over 111,000 tweets in one day, with diverse framing: informative, diagnostic, mobilising, or assigning blame. These digital moments helped coordinate in-person protests, demonstrating how virtual campaigns can build momentum for street-level action and policy engagement.
The dark side: Bots and manipulation
An analysis of Extinction Rebellion’s 2019 protests revealed that while bots didn’t suppress activism, they distorted sentiment by injecting negativity. This emotional manipulation threatens activist morale and message clarity. In response, digital campaigners have begun deploying bot filters, coded hashtags and platform-literate messaging to safeguard integrity.
Measuring real impact
Although qualitative evidence points to increased petitions, emails to policymakers and community meetings, measuring digital-to-offline conversions remains difficult. Activists and scholars alike call for better analytics tools to track engagement funnels, particularly to assess which tactics lead to policy change or legal action.
Real-world examples of digital synergy
· Fridays for Future transformed school strikes into an international movement, pivoting online during the pandemic without losing momentum.
· Extinction Rebellion used encrypted platforms and bots’ disruption as learning points, enhancing future mobilisation.
· Youth in regions like South Asia and Latin America have increasingly turned to Instagram and WhatsApp as accessible activism venues, spotlighting local climate injustices through global hashtags.
The global society and the equity challenge
Digital activism serves as a powerful equaliser, offering underrepresented communities a voice in global debates. Yet true alignment with SDG 10 requires equitable digital access, inclusive platform policies, and support for translating online energy into sustainable, local impact. Without it, marginalised groups risk exclusion from the conversation.
Digital activism is more than a trend, it is a transformative strategy. It allows rapid message dissemination, low-barrier entry, and deep youth engagement. Still, to fully realise its potential for SDG 13 and SDG 10, stakeholders must address issues of fatigue, manipulation, and measurement. The future lies in robust, inclusive strategies that blend digital reach with real-world action.
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