Yogyakarta – Ecosystem restoration campaigns on X (formerly Twitter) are highly effective in increasing public awareness and generating emotional engagement, yet they remain less successful in motivating meaningful real-world action. This conclusion comes from a study by Ega Azrobil Huda and Teguh Setiawan of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia, published in the International Journal of Scientific Multidisciplinary Research in July 2026. The researchers found that persuasive and directive discourse used in the #SaveTessoNilo and #StopDeforestation campaigns successfully informed and emotionally engaged online audiences, but most public participation remained symbolic, consisting mainly of likes, reposts, and supportive comments rather than concrete environmental action.
The rapid growth of social media has transformed the way environmental advocacy is conducted. Platforms such as X have evolved beyond spaces for sharing information into powerful arenas where activists, academics, journalists, environmental organizations, and ordinary citizens exchange ideas and mobilize public opinion. Campaigns using hashtags like #SaveTessoNilo and #StopDeforestation aim to raise awareness of ecosystem destruction while encouraging governments, corporations, and communities to take stronger action against deforestation. However, an important question remains: can online campaigns move beyond digital engagement and produce tangible environmental change?
The researchers employed a descriptive qualitative approach using a multiple-case study design focusing on the two environmental campaigns. The study analyzed 40 highly engaged posts on X, consisting of 20 posts from #SaveTessoNilo and 20 from #StopDeforestation. Using a sociopragmatic framework, the researchers examined directive speech acts, persuasive discourse strategies, account status, social distance, action burden, and the campaigns' effects on audiences' cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses.
The findings revealed that indirect directive speech acts were more frequently used than direct ones. Approximately 55% of the analyzed posts employed indirect directives, while 45% used explicit commands. Rather than giving straightforward orders, many campaign messages presented factual information or employed expressions such as "should" and "it is time" to encourage environmental responsibility. These indirect strategies created persuasive messages that subtly encouraged action while maintaining a more acceptable tone in digital communication.
The two campaigns also demonstrated distinct communication strategies. Within #SaveTessoNilo, the most common directive forms were demands (35%) and requests (25%), primarily directed toward government institutions and corporations to halt activities contributing to environmental destruction. In contrast, #StopDeforestation relied more heavily on suggestions (40%) and direct commands (30%), encouraging individuals to adopt environmentally friendly behaviors in their daily lives. These differences indicate that the objective of a campaign strongly influences the type of persuasive language employed.
Account characteristics also affected communication patterns. The #SaveTessoNilo campaign was dominated by low-status accounts (40%), whereas #StopDeforestation was primarily driven by medium-status accounts (55%), including environmental advocates and small non-governmental organizations. The study found that lower-status accounts tended to use stronger and more confrontational language to exert moral pressure on authorities, while higher-status accounts preferred more diplomatic and indirect communication to preserve institutional relationships and credibility.
Regarding cognitive impact, both campaigns successfully increased public understanding of environmental issues. Posts associated with #SaveTessoNilo averaged more than 420 reposts, and approximately 68% of analyzed comments repeated or summarized factual information presented in the original posts. Meanwhile, the #StopDeforestation campaign generated approximately 2.1 million views within one week, demonstrating the remarkable reach of environmental advocacy through social media. These findings highlight the effectiveness of digital platforms in spreading environmental knowledge and raising public awareness.
The campaigns also produced substantial emotional engagement. Replies to #SaveTessoNilo were dominated by negative emotions, with 60% expressing anger and disappointment toward corporations and government institutions perceived as responsible for environmental degradation. By contrast, #StopDeforestation generated 70% positive responses, including empathy, encouragement, and commitments to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. These results suggest that solidarity-oriented communication tends to foster more constructive emotional responses than confrontational messaging.
Despite their success in increasing awareness and emotional involvement, neither campaign generated substantial behavioral change. The online petition titled "Save the National Park Tesso Nilo from Illegal Palm Oil" collected approximately 12,000 signatures, representing only about 0.57% of the campaign's total audience reach. The researchers found no strong evidence that the campaigns directly triggered large-scale protests, consumer boycotts, or government policy changes. Instead, most participants limited their involvement to low-cost online activities such as liking, reposting, or leaving supportive comments. This pattern reflects the phenomenon known as slacktivism, where digital engagement rarely translates into meaningful offline action.
From a sociopragmatic perspective, the study concludes that the effectiveness of persuasive environmental communication is influenced by account status, social distance, action burden, and community ideology. Campaigns seeking policy reform tend to employ power-oriented language, while campaigns encouraging individual behavioral change achieve better results through solidarity-based and collaborative messaging. The researchers recommend designing environmental campaigns through gradual stages, beginning with simple actions that audiences can easily perform before encouraging greater commitments. Such an approach may help bridge the persistent gap between public awareness and meaningful environmental action.
The findings contribute significantly to the growing field of digital pragmatics while providing practical guidance for environmental activists, policymakers, and public communication professionals. By combining persuasive language with realistic calls to action and carefully considering social dynamics in online communities, future digital campaigns may become more effective in transforming public concern into sustained collective action for environmental conservation.
Author Profile
Ega Azrobil Huda – Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Teguh Setiawan – Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Research Source
Article Title: Directive and Persuasive Discourse in the Ecosystem Restoration Campaign on X (Twitter): A Sociopragmatic Study
Journal: International Journal of Scientific Multidisciplinary Research (IJSMR), Vol. 4, No. 7, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/ijsmr.v4i7.121
Journal Link: https://journalijsmr.my.id/index.php/ijsmr
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