platforms in variousways , such as “[…] keepingup with influencers , celebrities , organizations , and brands […]” ( Barnhart , 2022 , as cited in Torvik , 2022 , p . 55 ).
The possibility of direct messaging , for example throughinteractive Instagram storiesprovides “[…] the most direct contact with the activists and supporters […]” ( Tovrik , 2022 , p . 56 ).
Facebook , being the largest social media platform in the world , was also utilized by Fridays for Future . It was used to disseminate information about certain events as well as functioning as a “ community site where people outside the administrative team can publish posts and have discussions ” ( ibid , pp . 54- 55 ). Additionally , livestreams were used especially during the pandemic “[…] to ensure global access to informative meetings and events ” ( ibid . p . 55 ).
Furthermore , a website named fridaysforfuture . org was created where all the various information is collected . On this website , interested people can “[…] read up and learn more about the movement , find information or toolkits they need in their activism , register , donate , etc .”( ibid , p . 54 ). While this platform is not intendedfor direct exchange , it provides general information and references to planned demonstrations or other events .
The role of social media use
It is thus relatively clear how much social media influence the Fridays for Future movement and to what extent it even relies on these platforms . Social media play a crucial role in disseminating information and communicating internally . Therefore , an analysis of 363 tweets on Greta Thunberg ’ s Twitter page showed that “[…] the majority , 64,7 % ( 235 tweets ), fulfill a Dissemination function ” while “ the rest of the tweets are distributed almost equally between Information , Announcement and Complaint tweets […]” ( Lozano-Díaz & Fernández-Prados , 2022 , p . 455 ). This underscores the importance of information dissemination through social media platforms .
In addition to the communication platform WhatsApp , Facebook enables international participation in eventsor meetings . It is evidentthat without the use of these different platforms , the movement would not have gained such international importance so quickly . Hence , the social media use plays a crucial role .
To illustrate this with numbers , the movement since 2018 has “[…] gained a significantly stronger follower base with 14 million Instagram followers ( 07.01.22 )“ ( Tovrik , 2022 , p . 42 ). Through the use of social media and current platforms such as TikTok , it is also possible to capture the attention of the younger generation as a target group to the movement and thus generatepotential supporters . Furthermore , social media platforms also helped to maintain the movement during the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions .
Moreover , it is possible for them “[…] due to the lack of response from governments ” to communicate indirectly with them on a public level through platforms like Twitter , as governments often feel compelled to issue statements regarding the
89