For ages, books, newspapers, television, radio, documentaries, public events etc were the major sources of information about nature and its conservation, shaping the environmental behavior and the active participation of citizens.
For ages, books, newspapers, television, radio, documentaries, public events etc were the major sources of information about nature and its conservation, shaping the environmental behavior and the active participation of citizens.
A new era is emerging, faster and massive, with great potential and substantial limitations. Low-cost smartphones and social media platforms have an increasing penetration to the modern communities. Social media in particular are becoming the main source of information for billions of people nowadays, and in contrast with the old school media, these platforms can break the borders, spreading the content extremely fast at global scale. Formerly local conservation issues can now gain global attention, like the driving to extinction of Vaquita dolphin in Mexico or the poaching of rhinos in Africa.
As any other tool, social media is a two-faced coin. Rapid fragmented communication, recycled news, non-reliable and unverified information, poorly documented articles may influence and mislead readers.. Identifying reliable sources and accounts, staying critical and track original sources can be a shield for readers in the storm of communication through social media.
Useful links
Prospects and challenges for social media data in conservation science
EU actions against fake news: