Communicating climate change in the digital media and educational sphere: how Youth perceive denialism

Abstract

Climate change is one of today's greatest challenges (Hulme 2009), which has been widely evidenced by science (Oreskes 2004), highlighting its anthropogenic origin (Mann 2021). However, climate denialism remains a significant obstacle to the implementation of effective policies (Dunlap and McCright 2010). For this reason, the aim of this research is to analyze how a sample of 111 adolescents aged between 14 and 18 years from La Salle Montcada high school (Barcelona) perceive and value the denialist statements of public figures. The study focuses on the impact of these speeches on the perception of young people, considering the influence of the digital media. The methodology used is quantitative based on a statistical analysis of an ad hoc questionnaire answered by the sample. This work highlights the negative effects of denialism, such as the creation of disinformation, social polarization, minimization of the urgency of climate change and distrust in public policies. It also highlights how denialist discourse reduces the perception of the seriousness of the problem, which hinders collective action and the acceptance of necessary environmental policies.