Gareth Sanders
Misinformation, Climate Change and Humor on TikTok
Department of Communication in the college of humanities.
I’m a senior communications major with an emphasis on science, health, environment, and risk communications. Since childhood, I’ve been obsessed with the environment and the natural world, so the opportunity to participate in climate research has been very fulfilling. I’m a strong believer of interdisciplinary approaches, so I wanted to do research that encapsulated my experience with coding and software alongside my interest in the natural world. Working with Dr. Sara K. Yeo, I am performing a content and statistical analysis of popular TikTok posts about climate, seeking to highlight common traits of successful posts. My hope is that my research can help inform communicators, scientists, and researchers to combat misinformation and disseminate climate information more effectively to TikTok’s young audience. In my free time, I enjoy rock climbing, making myself acquainted with local squirrels, and reading.