Facebook and Green Social Movement

Going on Facebook for many people is largely to keep up with and maintain friendships with others in an increasingly complex and far apart digital age world where many of the individuals known by people are at different places and can't easily keep in contact. Facebook, therefore, is used by many to keep in contact with friends, acquaintances, families, and others and has become a good networking tool for finding jobs. Now, it appears Facebook is entering into the arena of promoting and encouraging green energy use among the many individuals, myself  included, who use it for social networking on a daily basis.

According to the Huffington Post, the new Facebook game is called "eMission" where individuals "can take quizzes, promote tourism, watch ecotours, and add sea lions, pelicans, and bald eagles to their virtual beach. But not before first taking action in the real world. In order to advance to higher levels and unlock rewards, players must change light bulbs, take shorter showers, plant a tree, and engage in real world environmental change." This is the type of action that is needed to get individuals to think about climate change and how to deal with it. Facebook is a very popular social networking feature and such an interactive feature would help in highlighting and illuminating environmental problems such as carbon dioxide emissions from human activities. Yet, the "eMission" game shows how individuals can truly see what it takes to reduce the potential impacts of climate change by showing what can truly be done to make a difference.

Right now, the issue of climate change may be seen as distant or not really important right now if it is portrayed as something that will lead to potential negative consequences down the road and that it is too complex for humans to tackle alone without government legislation. It appears, however, that this Facebook game truly personalizes and brings the issue of climate change up close and personal. In essence, it shows to the average person how yes they can make a difference and that climate change is not necessarily this far-off problem that humans can't help to solve. By showing how individuals can turn off lights or take shorter showers, the issue of climate change really hits home and can show individuals that the issue is not solely a complex or far off problem beyond any individual's own control. Therefore, it is great that the Facebook application is now jumping on the green movement. Hopefully, the demand to do something about the issue of climate change will expand with this new feature.

Photo Credit: thekirbster on Flickr