By Stephanie Brendel, Creative Content Producer
Got plants?
Even if you identify as a hardcore carnivore that avoids tofu and puts bacon on bacon, it’s hard to ignore the rising trend of veganism.
Maybe you’ve noticed the little “v” on the menu at restaurants. Maybe you’ve noticed a few of your favorite celebrities (Ellen Page, Ariana Grande, and Benedict Cumberbatch to name a few) mentioning their meat and dairy-free diet. Maybe you know a vegan who can’t even go an entire blog post without mentioning it.
No matter how prevalent a plant-based diet is in your life, there’s no denying that veganism is a growing trend. In fact, from 2014 to 2017, the number of vegans in the US increased 600 percent.
There are a lot of factors for why veganism is on the rise including ethical, environmental and health benefits. However, social media has changed the narrative of veganism. Here’s why:
1. Social Media has made vegan-based content more accessible.
The increased number of platforms for sharing has opened new channels for people to post about their experiences. The hashtag “vegan” has had more than 61 million posts listed on Instagram. Additionally, vegan brands can use established social media communities to promote their new products, and Instagram pages devoted to promoting vegan lifestyles and endless vegan recipe pins on Pinterest make learning more about the lifestyle incredibly easy.
2. Social media can target specific audiences.
Younger generations are largely driving the shift towards plant-based diets. In fact, Canadians under the age of 35 were three times more likely to be vegan than people 49 or older. Online content is easily accessible to the demographic most likely to go vegan, allowing for an increase in awareness.
3. Influencers are highly impactful in this area.
In a culture where aesthetic content is lauded and sought after, vegan influencers have mastered content creation. Whether they’re posting photos of themselves eating vegan
creations or posting strictly recipe content, it’s easy to find #veganinspo online.
4. Even jokes spread awareness
Sure, you can create memes making fun of veganism all you want. But, the more you share, the more people are aware. And, word on the street is that grass is actually pretty yummy.
