O Instagram como ferramenta de sensibilização popular acerca da poluição por plástico

Abstract

The Instagram as a tool of popular awareness regarding the plastic pollution – The exacerbated plastic consumption is a recurring problem, and since the mid-twentieth century, it has been reported the production of approximately 8.9 billion tons of polymer up to 2015. Such polymers often end up being discarded in an irregular way into the environment, often due to the population’s lack of knowledge about the consequences of this improper disposal. The present study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of social networks as tools for popular awareness about plastic pollution, using metrics from the scientific dissemination profile @biologiabia on the social network Instagram. From the data analysis and based on the profile of those who followed the page, the results showed that the scientific popularization about the risks of plastic production in digital tools, especially in social networks, is still insufficient, given what it was observed in the comments of most users who interacted with the posts. In this way, scientific communication, especially on social media, is needed to promote popular awareness concerning plastic pollution to be reflected in a society of lower consumption of the material.