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When a Girl Awakened the World: A User and Social Message Analysis of Greta Thunberg

Author

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  • Jieun Jung

    (Department of Interaction Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 03063, Korea)

  • Peter Petkanic

    (Department of Big Data Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Dongyan Nan

    (Department of Interaction Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 03063, Korea)

  • Jang Hyun Kim

    (Department of Interaction Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 03063, Korea)

Abstract

Young climate activist Greta Thunberg was Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2019. In this study, the authors examine the role of social media in Thunberg’s rise to prominence by investigating Twitter communications over 14 months, analyzing tweet contents and user profiles. The changes in sentiment revealed on Twitter are examined, along with four major events from the period. The paper also compares Swedish and American user characteristics in relation to Thunberg. The findings reveal that celebrities and public figures played an essential role in amplifying the influence of the activist. To categorize the influencer group, the authors identified each user’s occupation, organization, location and position on other social issues. The results show that some people held a negative attitude toward Thunberg, not only because of their skepticism about climate change but also because of their views on other social issues, such as gender and age.

Suggested Citation

  • Jieun Jung & Peter Petkanic & Dongyan Nan & Jang Hyun Kim, 2020. "When a Girl Awakened the World: A User and Social Message Analysis of Greta Thunberg," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-17, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:7:p:2707-:d:338851
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Druckman, James N. & Peterson, Erik & Slothuus, Rune, 2013. "How Elite Partisan Polarization Affects Public Opinion Formation," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 107(1), pages 57-79, February.
    2. Clare Llewellyn & Laura Cram & Robin L. Hill & Adrian Favero, 2019. "For Whom the Bell Trolls: Shifting Troll Behaviour in the Twitter Brexit Debate," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(5), pages 1148-1164, September.
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    1. Su, Chi-Wei & Li, Wenhao & Umar, Muhammad & Lobonţ, Oana-Ramona, 2022. "Can green credit reduce the emissions of pollutants?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 205-219.
    2. Hettinga, Sanne & Boter, Jaap & Dias, Eduardo & Fruijtier, Steven & de Vogel, Brian & Scholten, Henk, 2021. "Urban energy transition in a gaming context: The role of children," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).

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