ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ON TIKTOK: TOPICS AND CLAIMS OF MISLEADING INFORMATION

TitleENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ON TIKTOK: TOPICS AND CLAIMS OF MISLEADING INFORMATION
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2024
AuthorsPereira, BB, Ha, S
JournalJournal of Baltic Science Education
Volume23
Issue1
Start Page131-150
PaginationContinuous
Date PublishedFebruary/2024
Type of ArticleOriginal article
ISSN1648-3898
Other NumbersE-ISSN 2538-7138
Keywordscontent analysis, Environmental Issues, misleading information, science education, TikTok videos
Abstract

In light of the increasing frequency of misleading information in social media regarding environmental issues, this study aimed to identify misleading information spread through TikTok videos and to discuss why such content is considered misleading, drawing on relevant literature. Hashtags with large numbers of views, such as #climatechange, #sustainability, #pollution, #biodiversity, #environmentalprotection, #environmentalissues, #energysource, and #environmentalproblems, were used for data collection through web scrapper called Apify (https://apify.com/). A total of 29 misleading videos were found. Content analysis was applied to identify and classify the topics and misleading claims. The topics of misleading videos, according to the most frequent mentions, were energy sources, followed by climate change, pollution, biodiversity, and environmental degradation. Among the misleading claims, videos related to pyramids as non-pollutant power plants and conspiracy related to pollution exhibited the highest frequency. The results show various misleading claims in videos related to environmental topics. Also, emphasized the importance of science education in addressing misleading information. In addition, the importance of an interdisciplinary approach for addressing environmental issues was reinforced.

URLhttps://oaji.net/articles/2023/987-1709892688.pdf
DOI10.33225/jbse/24.23.131
Refereed DesignationRefereed
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