Creating for a cause? Values and perceived effectiveness of social media among environmental content creators in India

This study investigates the factors driving environmental content creation among social media content creators in India. Using semi-structured interviews with content creators (n = 20), we examined the environmental values, uses and gratifications (U&G) motives, and perceived effectiveness of social media for environmental content creation on Instagram. Our findings revealed that content creators are driven by environmental concerns, a need for personal expression, and an intrinsic desire to promote sustainable practices. Creators also reported that social media were both beneficial and limiting to their goals. These findings extend the environmental values framework by highlighting the significance of tradition, conformity, and benevolence for environmentalism in the Global South. We also challenge the activist-influencer creator binary by revealing an entrepreneurial identity that blends educational, commercial, and advocacy goals. Finally, we demonstrate how sociocultural factors shape the intersection of U&G motives and environmental values in digital environmental communication, thereby enriching our theoretical understanding of environmental communication beyond existing frameworks.