How Storytelling in the Metaverse Can Drive Environmental Action

Seeing is believing. However, recent research on virtual reality from the University of Oregon suggests that simply observing may not be enough to inspire people to take action on environmental issues. The key is engagement.

Compared to traditional videos, environmental narratives conveyed through metaverse technologies like virtual reality and 360-degree videos have the potential to better motivate individuals to address environmental challenges. A study published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking explains how the metaverse not only offers a visually stunning experience but also an interactive one that can make far-off threats such as climate change or ocean acidification feel close and personally relevant.

According to Daniel Pimentel, an assistant professor in immersive media psychology at UO’s School of Journalism and Communication, the magic of VR lies not only in transporting individuals to different environments but also in using interactivity to reduce psychological distance and enhance immersion. It is essential in environmental storytelling to focus on enabling engagement, not just placing people in digital spaces.

Environmental communicators can leverage metaverse technologies to create interactive narratives that can shift people’s attitudes and perceptions about environmental issues, as noted by Pimentel, who is also the co-director of UO’s Oregon Reality Lab in Portland.

In their recent research, Pimentel and Sriram Kalyanaraman from the University of Florida conducted several studies to explore how storytelling through immersive media could influence people’s perceptions of environmental threats and engagement in pro-environmental activities. They also assessed participants’ emotional responses to the narratives.