Climate Strikes in the Digital Age: Public Engagement in the Fridays for Future Twitter Discourse

Abstract

This study examines how the Fridays for Future (FFF) movement mobilized public engagement on Twitter during major climate strike events in 2019. Using a mixed methods approach, we analyze over 40,000 tweets from multiple global regions to assess both the intensity and duration of digital participation. Findings reveal sharp spikes in engagement around strike dates, followed by rapid declines, reflecting the episodic nature of online activism. Yet, certain frames such as institutional responsibility (government), moral urgency (actnow), and youth leadership (gretathunberg), consistently anchor high-engagement tweets. While effective in the short term, these frames operate within a polarized digital landscape shaped by backlash and misinformation, limiting long-term impact. By linking message framing to engagement trends, this study offers a more granular, data-driven perspective on the dynamics of digital climate discourse. It contributes to broader debates about the promises and pitfalls of climate activism in the age of social media, underscoring the need for strategies that sustain engagement beyond symbolic moments.