One with Nature, One with Each Other? A Niche Construction Framework Linking Rituals, Social Media and Nature Connectedness
Ronald Fischer, Johannes A. Karl, Adam Daly & Giovanna Bortolini
Topoi
School of Psychology
Abstract

In this review, we bring together different strands of research focusing on rituals, social media and nature connectedness and interpret the intersection through a broad evolutionary niche construction lens. We argue that (a) humans have used rituals for a number of different purposes, with a particular emphasis on connecting human communities and managing emotional processes, (b) that these rituals were often centered around nature and seasonal cycles, and (c) that the runaway sociocultural niche construction driven by technological changes has disconnected humans from both the environment and traditional rituals, which has many unintended side effects and consequences. However, we also acknowledge the intrinsic importance of rituals for humans and the great potential of emerging rituals in the digital space to connect individuals with each other, to disseminate information on nature at scale and to link individuals and communities back to nature. We provide some speculation on how social media and digital technology could be used creatively by individuals and communities to connect them with nature again and therefore help to protect nature and identify areas for future transdisciplinary research and theory development.