As over half of the global population engages in social media, user-generated data has become an abundant source for social scientists studying attitudes toward the environment and sustainability.
However, the success of social media data science faces several challenges, warns an international research team. The most pressing issue, as per a new study from the University of Michigan, is constrained access to data due to strict terms of service, platform closures, data tampering, censorship, and regulations.
Transforming science
The research is among the first to examine the potential impact social media could have on sustainability science. The researchers analyzed over 400 studies published between 2011 and 2021.
“Ideas about climate change and our environment are increasingly coming from social media,” the researchers explain. “Online communities like Reddit, or simply news stories shared by your friends on Facebook, have become digital landscapes where many ideas are shaped and formed.”
Comprehending the factors that influence the formation of environmental beliefs can assist science communicators in refining their messaging and addressing information gaps or distortions. However, the potential public advantages of social media data science are hindered by several obstacles, as indicated by a new report from an international research team.
Access to data
One major obstacle is limited access to data due to strict terms of service, platform shutdowns, data tampering, censorship, and regulations.
The authors of the study contend that social media platforms’ current business models have resulted in a negative feedback loop, where user data is viewed as a proprietary asset that can be traded for profit. This has sparked public apprehension and distrust of social media firms, leading to a growing demand for greater regulation. The report advocates for replacing this vicious cycle with a “virtuous cycle.”
“A virtuous cycle requires the collaboration of SM companies, researchers, and the public,” the authors explain. “For their part, sustainability researchers can foster more trust and cooperation by embracing high ethical standards. Inclusivity, transparency, privacy protection, and responsible use of the data are key requirements—and will lead to an improved standardization of research practices moving forward.”
Sign of progress
In January 2021, Twitter set a commendable precedent for inter-platform collaboration by launching an academic research product track, granting approved researchers unrestricted access to its full archive via free searches. This move set an optimistic tone for potential open-access initiatives across social media networks.
Regrettably, Twitter’s recent announcement, slated for Feb. 9, 2023, of its discontinuation of free access, has validated the anxieties of researchers. This decision deals a blow to the community of scholars that have come to rely on the platform’s historical data for their research.
“SM data has the potential to usher in a revolution in the current practices of sustainability research, especially in the social sciences, with an impact on par with that of Earth observation in the environmental sciences,” the researchers explain.
According to the findings of the research, evaluations of social media data have the potential to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals of 2015, which represent a worldwide plea to eradicate poverty, safeguard the environment, and promote peace and prosperity for all individuals by the year 2030.
“Achieving the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals will require large-scale, multi-country efforts as well as granular data for tailoring sustainability efforts,” the authors conclude. “The shared values and goals of working for a sustainable future may provide common ground for the cooperation needed to fully realize the contribution that SM data offers.”
