A new analysis of over 2.4 million English-language social media posts and news headlines reveals a striking gap in the way we talk about climate change: only 3.1% of content mentions health impacts.
That's despite growing evidence that climate change is already affecting public health—contributing to rising respiratory diseases, heat-related illnesses, and the spread of infectious diseases, including waterborne diarrhoeal diseases.
The study, conducted by Brown University’s Information Futures Lab (IFL) in partnership with Climate Week NYC and supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, highlights an untapped opportunity. Health-focused messaging can be a powerful driver of climate action, yet it remains largely absent from public discourse.
"Research shows that health-focused messaging can strengthen public support for climate action—even among those who might not see climate change as a priority issue," says Stefanie Friedhoff, co-founder of the Information Futures Lab at Brown University.
The study, which analysed content from Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter/X, and news outlets between January 2023 and July 2024, found:
Despite the growing health risks, discussions around climate change often fail to make this crucial connection. The study highlights three key barriers:
Fear-driven messaging: Many health-related climate stories focus on catastrophic outcomes. While urgency is important, research suggests that solution-oriented storytelling is more effective at inspiring action.
The social media algorithm trap: Content that sparks outrage or fear spreads faster online. As a result, nuanced discussions about solutions struggle to gain traction, while extreme narratives dominate.
The rise of climate denialism: Alarmingly, 11% of viral climate-health posts contained misleading or denialist claims, downplaying the severity of climate change and its effects on public health.
"Health-framed messaging can strengthen support for climate action across political spectrums," emphasises Stefanie Friedhoff.
The research team urges communicators to humanise climate impacts while providing clear pathways for individual and collective action. This means shifting from abstract statistics to real stories of people affected by extreme heat, air pollution, and disease outbreaks, while also highlighting solutions.
Presented at Climate Week NYC 2024, the study calls for a systemic shift in how we communicate climate change.
“This study underscores the urgent need to communicate climate change as a public health emergency,” says Adam Lake of Climate Group.
As climate-related health crises accelerate worldwide, closing this communication gap isn’t just about awareness—it could be key to mobilising broader public support for real policy change.
Reference List:
Brown University Information Futures Lab. (2024). Climate and health on social media and in the news: The state of the conversation and the opportunity ahead. Brown University. https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/sites.brown.edu/dist/4/371/files/2024/09/IFL-Climate-and-Health-report.pdf
The Rockefeller Foundation. (2024, September 20). Social media & news data analysis shows urgent need to better communicate the health impact of climate change. The Rockefeller Foundation. https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/news/social-media-news-data-analysis-shows-urgent-need-to-better-communicate-the-health-impact-of-climate-change/