Climate Change Emotions on YouTube: The Case of Before the Flood

Abstract

This study examines public comments on the trailer for Before the Flood, a climate change-oriented documentary released in October 2016. Through webometrics, semantic and sentiment analyses, emotions related to climate change were explored. Sentiment analysis of comments on videos examined in previous studies was compared with a sentiment analysis of post-video comments for Before the Flood. Relevant influencers on the comment network were identified, their discourse analyzed in depth, and the results showed an acute politicization of comments, partly due to the electoral campaign ongoing in the United States; while usage of scientific terms decreased. Influential users tended to express polarized views in favor or against the view that climate change is real. However, sentiment regarding climate change remained stable. This study contributes to the intersection of webometrics with environmental psychology as a useful tool to analyze media, particularly if it is targeted to a global audience.