Social Media Content
Responses include discussions of the video's opinions and whether it does a good job of uninfluencing the buying of slow lorises (why/why not)
Interpretation of primate facial expressions, such as reading fear grimaces as “smiles”, further erodes understanding of natural behaviors (Clark 2021). Such content not only misinforms but also fuels real-world harms, including aggression from provisioning, disrupted foraging patterns, and increased risks of zoonotic transmission (Southwick et al. 1976; Pederson and Davies 2009; Balasubramaniam et al. 2022).”
Responses include: Surprise statements, sharing other misunderstood animal behaviors, discussions about zoonotic/ reverse zoonoses, examples of real-world harm
Figure 1 (go to Google Slides):
Potential questions: What is your opinion on this figure? Does this figure omit positive outcomes such as donations to NGOs? Zoos? Are there any biases involved? Does this exaggerate/ exacerbate the negative impacts of social media?
Share something from your surprise statement!
Wow! That IS surprising :D!
Search up the campaign on any social media platform #WildlifeNotPets what types of posts do you see?
Potential responses: posts catered to your FYP, animal-related campaigns, informational videos about animals/ NGO projects
“Policy mechanisms can reinforce these commitments. The EU Digital Services Act (2024) requires algorithmic risk assessments for social and environmental harms, offering a model for integrating biodiversity protection into digital governance. Similarly, Australia’s new law restricting social media access for under-16s demonstrates that large-scale reform is achievable when guided by public interest and political will.”
Responses include: talking about the ethical use of technology, is this something that could be passed in the US (why/why not), further discussion about pros/cons, does this actually work?
Figure 2 (go to slides)
Are there any arrows you would remove/ add? Why? How well do you think this figure summarizes the dual impact? Does it appear biased? Pick a zoo and see how they’re posting about their animals. What does responsible posting look like?
Other examples of animal behavior that also gets confused/misinterpreted?
Responses include: birds being pet on their back leads to sexual frustration, grimacing is actually fear, a dog panting/ wagging its tail can be aggression, cats flicking tail/large eyes that look cute mean aggression
Make a ven diagram similar to figure 2 what are the pros and cons of social media/ What overlaps? What is the double edged sword?
Pros: education, increase in fundraising, advocacy
Cons: misinformation, promotion of the black market/ pet-trade, normalization of animal handling
Both: education and misinformation tied together (publicity), algorithm dependent, advocacy can lead to increased pet trade etc.. Figure 2 is a great example!
Conservation influencers and science communicators such as Maya Higa, Dean Schneider, Kyle Thomas and others using digital platforms to promote wildlife awareness have emerged as critical intermediaries between researchers and the public. When campaigns are led by credible voices and provide actionable steps, they are more likely to shift attitudes and behaviors (Chua et al. 2020).
Responses include: talking about conservation influencers, activity to look up a wildlife influencer, and whether they paint a nice picture/ promote in a positive way?
Make a feedback loop similar to Figure 1 except for positive outcomes of social media advocacy.
Potential positive response: Social media post -> education --> call to action to donate -> money goes to research/ NGOs --> more social media posts
Share a picture of you with a wild/exotic animal. If you were promoting conservation of this species what one sentence caption would you include?
Picture: informational caption about animal/ NGO about said animals, and where you can donate/ how to contribute