By Kahwa Benard | 08 Aug 2025 | Laudato Youth Initiative – Director

The youth are poised to influence and provide climate change solutions, given their numerical strength, with over 75% of Ugandans under the age of 30. To engage this young population and amplify their voices, digital spaces, particularly social media, must be leveraged.

Uganda’s digital landscape is evolving, with increasing internet penetration and smartphone accessibility. According to the Uganda Communication Commission report of 2023, there were 15 million smartphones in use. Social media platforms have become vital for communication, news dissemination, and activism, especially among the younger generation.

Key social media platforms in Uganda include Facebook, WhatsApp, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Instagram, among others, taking a big percentage of the 12 million internet users in the country. TikTok, like Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube, has become a key part of Uganda’s communication environment. This is especially true for the younger generation, who frequently feel excluded or limited from key climate change discussions.

With over 5.5 million active users on TikTok, 600,000 on X, and 4.6 million on YouTube, social media has potential for amplifying voices of young people about climate change issues. This is the same reason why Jürgen Habermas called this space the ‘Public Sphere’ where issues affecting the general public ought to be discussed and solutions found.

Through these platforms, Ugandan climate change discourse can be given innovative forms to create awareness and knowledge to young people. This approach to digital activism has attracted massive participation, particularly from the younger demographic, and has significantly increased the country’s climate change discourse forum.

Social media platforms like X and TikTok have democratised dissemination and access to information, giving young people direct channels to share their perspectives but also speak to the establishment. They offer immediacy, reach, and virality, enabling content creators to swiftly disseminate messages and engage with other users.

This approach is not new. It worked for the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo campaigns where activists successfully leveraged digital platforms to shed light on structural inequalities, changing public discourses and pushing for global legislative reforms. It can work for climate change awareness too.

The potential of social media in climate change awareness cannot be overstated. By harnessing the power of digital activism, young people can be empowered to take action on climate change issues. Social media platforms can be used to create awareness, mobilize action, and influence policy decisions.

In conclusion, social media platforms offer a powerful tool for climate change awareness and activism. By leveraging the potential of digital spaces, young people can be engaged and empowered to take action on climate change issues. Let’s utilize social media to create a wave of climate change awareness and inspire collective action.