Television has long served as more than mere entertainment. In recent years, the medium has emerged as a powerful vehicle for shaping public attitudes towards environmental responsibility and encouraging viewers to adopt greener habits. Drama series, in particular, possess a unique capacity to weave complex themes into compelling narratives that resonate emotionally with audiences, making them ideal platforms for promoting sustainable living practices. By embedding eco-conscious messages within the fabric of storytelling, television dramas can inspire meaningful change in how people approach their daily routines and long-term choices.
How television dramas influence environmental awareness and behaviour
The Power of Storytelling in Shaping Viewer Perspectives on Sustainability
The art of storytelling has always been central to human culture, and television dramas harness this ancient craft to address contemporary challenges such as climate change and resource depletion. When characters on screen confront environmental dilemmas or embrace eco-friendly lifestyles, viewers are offered a lens through which to examine their own behaviours. This narrative approach taps into emotional engagement, allowing audiences to connect with sustainability issues on a personal level rather than through abstract statistics or dry policy discussions. Drama-based education, which involves activities such as role play and forum play, has been shown to raise awareness and encourage action on sustainability issues by creating safe fictional environments where real-world problems can be explored. This method is process-oriented, interactive, holistic, reflective and transformative, helping learners understand different viewpoints and think critically about complex topics. By integrating these principles into television content, dramas can foster transformative learning and inspire viewers to reconsider their relationship with the natural world.
Real-world examples of telly dramas championing eco-friendly practices
Numerous television productions have successfully integrated environmental themes into their storylines, demonstrating the practical potential of the medium to promote sustainability. While some series directly address ecological crises through plotlines centred on conservation or renewable energy, others subtly weave green habits into character development, normalising sustainable choices such as recycling, reducing waste or choosing public transport. Research from South Korea has highlighted the influence of television programmes and films on travel behaviour, particularly on Jeju Island, where viewers who watch screen content featuring the island are more likely to visit and engage with its natural landscapes. This phenomenon, known as screen-induced tourism, suggests that media portrayals can shape not only destination image and travel motivation but also foster a deeper appreciation for preserving these environments. The study found that television and films have a strong influence on how people picture a place and strongly affect whether they decide to visit, with average scores reflecting medium to strong impacts across various measures. Such findings underscore the broader potential of drama to inspire sustainable tourism and environmental stewardship.
Integrating sustainable living messages into mainstream television content
Creative methods for showcasing green habits through character development
One of the most effective strategies for promoting sustainability through television drama lies in the subtle integration of eco-friendly behaviours into the lives of beloved characters. Rather than delivering heavy-handed lectures on environmental responsibility, writers can craft narratives where characters naturally adopt green habits as part of their everyday existence. This might include scenes where a protagonist shops at a local farmers' market, repairs an item instead of discarding it, or engages in community gardening. By presenting these actions as normal and desirable, dramas can shift cultural norms and encourage viewers to emulate the behaviours they see on screen. Applied drama, which uses play, stories and games to explore real-world problems, offers valuable insights into how fictional scenarios can prompt reflection and inspire action. The GreenComp framework, developed by the European Union, outlines sustainability competences that can guide content creators in developing characters and storylines that embody critical thinking, systems thinking and collaboration. These competences are essential for education for sustainable development and can be seamlessly woven into dramatic narratives to enrich both entertainment value and social impact.
The Long-Term Impact of Environmentally Conscious Programming on Daily Choices
The influence of television dramas extends far beyond the duration of an episode or series. When audiences are repeatedly exposed to sustainable living practices through compelling storytelling, these messages can gradually reshape attitudes and behaviours over time. Research on drama-based education in higher education teaching has shown that interactive and reflective pedagogical approaches can lead to behavioural change and deeper engagement with sustainability issues. A European research project involving teachers from eight countries explored strategies for integrating drama into university teaching, emphasizing the importance of creating space for drama, merging it with subject content and tracking teaching innovations. Although this research focused on educational settings, the principles apply equally to television content aimed at general audiences. The long-term impact of environmentally conscious programming lies in its ability to normalise sustainable choices, making them aspirational and accessible. As more dramas champion eco-friendly practices and incorporate reflective practice and holistic education into their narratives, the cumulative effect can be a cultural shift towards greater environmental responsibility. While further research is needed on how drama affects behaviour in education for sustainable development and how best to introduce it into various contexts, the evidence suggests that television dramas hold immense potential as catalysts for positive change. By continuing to explore creative methods and prioritising sustainability competences in storytelling, the television industry can play a vital role in fostering a greener, more sustainable future for all.