From the pen to the mouse: Building opinion on environmental issues through social media

Environmental activism is the combined force (Political, Economic and social) of people who take action to protect the environment. Environmental activists, like many other practitioners of social change, come in all shapes and sizes, from all walks of life. In every age, tool for activism has been changed. In the country like India, environmental movements were more direct, putting the moral authority of a person or community against an established power-say a Sundarlal Bahuguna fasting against Tehri Dam, or the villagers of Sirsi, Karnataka, hugging trees to prevent them from being felled. Interestingly, the movement has changed a lot. Before it was less technical. From the pen it has shifted in the mouse, cyber groups. New media provides a platform for debate, discourse and knowledge-sharing in the process of environmental activism that help in shaping public policy and opinion in favour of sustainable green society. The researcher in this regard, attempts to analyse the role play by the social media in building public opinion on environmental issues through ‘public sphere’ theory of Habermas and opinion generation through opinion leaders. For this purpose, the researcher has done a critical analysis of social media groups, with a special reference to environmental.