Does social media use enhance low-carbon behavioral intentions? Evidence from Chinese college students

Although there is a growing recognition of the Internet’s role in promoting environmental sustainability, the impact of social media use on low-carbon behavioral intentions remains poorly understood. Based on the survey data for 1,056 contemporary college students from 9 universities in China, this paper examines how social media use affects their intentions regarding low-carbon behaviors. An IV-Ordered Probit model is employed to account for the endogeneity issue and generate accurate estimates. The results indicate that, overall, the frequency of social media use has a significantly positive impact on college students’ intentions to adopt low-carbon behaviors, mainly by improving their subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. Additionally, considerable heterogeneities are observed among students of different genders and grades. Knowledge, concern, and belief regarding climate change also have a significant effect on behavioral intentions. Finally, this paper proposes several policy recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of social media in promoting low-carbon behaviors.