IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i15p8119-d605991.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Adolescents’ Social Media Use and Their Voluntary Garbage Sorting Intention: A Sequential Mediation Model

Author

Listed:
  • Pengya Ai

    (School of Media and Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 800, Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China)

  • Wu Li

    (School of Media and Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 800, Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China)

  • Wuyue Yang

    (School of Media and Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 800, Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China)

Abstract

Encouraging adolescents to sort garbage is vital for the sustainable development of the ecological environment. This study investigates the relationship between adolescents’ social media use and their garbage sorting intention. A survey, in both online and paper-based versions, was distributed in 2020 in Shanghai and a total number of 605 valid responses were obtained. This study supports the proposed sequential mediation model, indicating that adolescents’ social media use increased their garbage sorting intention via the serial mediation effect of objective and subjective knowledge and the perceived importance of garbage sorting. The current study and its findings provide important insights into the link between adolescents’ social media use and their garbage sorting intention, particularly its underlying mechanism, by distinguishing knowledge into two specific types and introducing perceived importance into the conceptual model. Practical implications for improving adolescents’ intention to sort garbage are also discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Pengya Ai & Wu Li & Wuyue Yang, 2021. "Adolescents’ Social Media Use and Their Voluntary Garbage Sorting Intention: A Sequential Mediation Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-12, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:15:p:8119-:d:605991
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/15/8119/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/15/8119/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Huang, Huiping, 2016. "Media use, environmental beliefs, self-efficacy, and pro-environmental behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 2206-2212.
    2. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    3. Robin, Donald P. & Reidenbach, R. Eric & Forrest, P. J., 1996. "The perceived importance of an ethical issue as an influence on the ethical decision-making of ad managers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 17-28, January.
    4. Pothitou, Mary & Hanna, Richard F. & Chalvatzis, Konstantinos J., 2016. "Environmental knowledge, pro-environmental behaviour and energy savings in households: An empirical study," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 1217-1229.
    5. Ruixia Han & Yali Cheng, 2020. "The Influence of Norm Perception on Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Comparison between the Moderating Roles of Traditional Media and Social Media," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-18, September.
    6. Anthony Amoah & Thomas Addoah, 2021. "Does environmental knowledge drive pro-environmental behaviour in developing countries? Evidence from households in Ghana," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 2719-2738, February.
    7. Brucks, Merrie, 1985. "The Effects of Product Class Knowledge on Information Search Behavior," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, June.
    8. Muhammad Mohiuddin & Abdullah Al Mamun & Fazal Ali Syed & Muhammad Mehedi Masud & Zhan Su, 2018. "Environmental Knowledge, Awareness, and Business School Students’ Intentions to Purchase Green Vehicles in Emerging Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-18, May.
    9. Ellen, Pam Scholder, 1994. "Do we know what we need to know? Objective and subjective knowledge effects on pro-ecological behaviors," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 43-52, May.
    10. Ruixia Han & Jian Xu, 2020. "A Comparative Study of the Role of Interpersonal Communication, Traditional Media and Social Media in Pro-Environmental Behavior: A China-Based Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-21, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Dingde Xu & Chen Qing & Yang Chen & Jia He & Fengwan Zhang, 2023. "Sustainable Development of Rural Human Settlements in the Information Age: Can Internet Use Drive Farmers to Participate in Garbage Classification?," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-17, April.
    2. Yuanxin Zhang & Liujun Xu & Wei Wu & Zaijing Gong & Hashem Izadi Moud & Zhihua Luo, 2021. "Ascertaining the Inconsistency of AEC Students’ Perceptions and Behaviors Regarding Sustainability by Mixed Methods," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-20, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Saeid Karimi & Genovaitė Liobikienė & Heshmatollah Saadi & Fatemeh Sepahvand, 2021. "The Influence of Media Usage on Iranian Students’ Pro-Environmental Behaviors: An Application of the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-19, July.
    2. Baral, Nabin, 2018. "What socio-demographic characteristics predict knowledge of biofuels," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 369-376.
    3. Piyapong Janmaimool & Jaruwan Chontanawat, 2021. "Do University Students Base Decisions to Engage in Sustainable Energy Behaviors on Affective or Cognitive Attitudes?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-18, September.
    4. Md. Moddassir Alam & Abdalwali Lutfi & Abdallah Alsaad, 2023. "Antecedents and Consequences of Customers’ Engagement with Pro-Environmental Consumption-Related Content on Social Media," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-16, February.
    5. Grebitus, Carola & Printezis, Iryna & Printezis, Antonios, 2017. "Relationship between Consumer Behavior and Success of Urban Agriculture," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 189-200.
    6. You Kyung Lee, 2017. "A Comparative Study of Green Purchase Intention between Korean and Chinese Consumers: The Moderating Role of Collectivism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-17, October.
    7. Guomin Li & Wei Li & Zihan Jin & Zhihao Wang, 2019. "Influence of Environmental Concern and Knowledge on Households’ Willingness to Purchase Energy-Efficient Appliances: A Case Study in Shanxi, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-18, February.
    8. Laura Omarova & Sung-Jun Jo, 2022. "Employee Pro-Environmental Behavior: The Impact of Environmental Transformational Leadership and GHRM," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-18, February.
    9. Ruixia Han & Yali Cheng, 2020. "The Influence of Norm Perception on Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Comparison between the Moderating Roles of Traditional Media and Social Media," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-18, September.
    10. Farzana Riva & Solon Magrizos & Mohammad Rabiul Basher Rubel, 2021. "Investigating the link between managers' green knowledge and leadership style, and their firms' environmental performance: The mediation role of green creativity," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3228-3240, November.
    11. Fang, Xingming & Wang, Lu & Sun, Chuanwang & Zheng, Xuemei & Wei, Jing, 2021. "Gap between words and actions: Empirical study on consistency of residents supporting renewable energy development in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 148(PA).
    12. Mohd Yusoff Yusliza & Amirudin Amirudin & Raden Aswin Rahadi & Nik Afzan Nik Sarah Athirah & Thurasamy Ramayah & Zikri Muhammad & Francesca Dal Mas & Maurizio Massaro & Jumadil Saputra & Safiek Mokhli, 2020. "An Investigation of Pro-Environmental Behaviour and Sustainable Development in Malaysia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-21, August.
    13. Abdullah Al Mamun & Syed Ali Fazal & Muhammad Mehedi Masud & Ganeshsree Selvachandran & Noor Raihani Zainol & Quek Shio Gai, 2020. "The Underlying Drivers of Underprivileged Households’ Intention and Behavior towards Community Forestry Management: A Study Using Structural Equation Modelling and Artificial Neural Network Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-26, September.
    14. Meng, Bo & Choi, Kyuhwan, 2016. "The role of authenticity in forming slow tourists' intentions: Developing an extended model of goal-directed behavior," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 397-410.
    15. Joachim P. Hasebrook & Leonie Michalak & Anna Wessels & Sabine Koenig & Stefan Spierling & Stefan Kirmsse, 2022. "Green Behavior: Factors Influencing Behavioral Intention and Actual Environmental Behavior of Employees in the Financial Service Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-35, August.
    16. Mei-Fang Chen & Ching-Ti Pan & Ming-Chuan Pan, 2009. "The Joint Moderating Impact of Moral Intensity and Moral Judgment on Consumer’s Use Intention of Pirated Software," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 90(3), pages 361-373, December.
    17. Gkargkavouzi, Anastasia & Halkos, George & Matsiori, Steriani, 2019. "How do motives and knowledge relate to intention to perform environmental behavior? Assessing the mediating role of constraints," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 1-1.
    18. Erjon Nexhipi, 2022. "The difference in consumer attitudes of locally grown apples with imported apples. the case of Korca Region, Albania:," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 37(1), pages 250-264, November.
    19. Zhu, Weiwei & Wei, Jiuchang & Zhao, Dingtao, 2016. "Anti-nuclear behavioral intentions: The role of perceived knowledge, information processing, and risk perception," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 168-177.
    20. Feucht, Yvonne & Zander, Katrin, 2017. "Consumers’ attitudes on carbon footprint labelling. Results of the SUSDIET project," Thünen Working Paper 266396, Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut (vTI), Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:15:p:8119-:d:605991. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.