Spanish ecofeminism in social networks. Actions and possibilities on Instagram

Abstract

Ecofeminism is an indispensable part of Gender Studies, even more so after the COVID-19 crisis, which has fueled the need for international, innovative, and restrictive regulations on the care of the planet and the relationship of human beings with animals and their environment. This proposal studies Ecofeminism in Spanish social networks, delving into the most used networks and their reasons; the accounts with more followers and engagement; the influencers that promote the movement more and better; and the hashtags that viralize the problems, complaints, and proposals. To achieve this, a mixed methodology is used: longitudinal bibliographic research of the key concepts, as part of the thesaurus of a competitive R&D project on social networks and young Spaniards with a gender perspective; and diachronic, quantitative and qualitative study of the main Ecofeminismo accounts on Instagram and TikTok, as they are the social networks with the highest growth during the COVID-19 crisis and those with the greatest growth potential according to studies and reports. It is concluded that a greater number of publications does not imply a greater number of users; that the accounts studied have more followers on Facebook than on Instagram; and that the originality and variety of the individual ecologist proposals are the most striking part of the contents, with small actions, which show that change begins in simple gestures.