Social Media's Impact on Nature: From Conservation to Destruction

New research highlights how viral nature photos can harm ecosystems, while also offering conservation opportunities.

Researchers find social media disrupts animal breeding and feeding patterns, and tramples endangered plants.
Unethical photography practices, like baiting and drone use, alter wildlife behavior and increase predation risks.
Sharing locations of rare species can lead to over-visitation, habitat destruction, and even rapid extinction.
Despite negative impacts, social media can aid conservation by raising awareness and engaging citizen scientists.
Experts call for ethical guidelines and tighter controls to mitigate social media's harmful effects on biodiversity.