Investigating the Role of Information Capability and Social Participation of Social Media on Learning and Environmental Awareness

The emergence of the industrial revolution today has put the world on the verge of facing environmental crises, which is one of the most fundamental global problems, and facing it as a collective effort requires creating an environmental attitude in society. One of the areas that are heavily influenced by social media is the environment. The existence of virtual media acts as a catalyst that promotes environmental goals and social network users, especially an increasing number of them are young generations, and online activities are part of their daily lives. As the main custodians of environmental protection, it has entered this cycle.The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of information and social participation of social media on environmental learning and environmental awareness.

This study was conducted with a descriptive method of correlation and relying on the structural equation model. Also, this study was applied in terms of purpose. The statistical population of this study included all users active in social networks related to environmental issues, and according to the random sampling method, 230 people were selected as a statistical sample. The tool for data collection was a researcher-made questionnaire including social media capabilities and dimensions of information and social participation and learning and environmental awareness, which was used after confirming construct validity and reliability through Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The analysis, test of the presented model and study hypotheses were done using the structural equation method.

The findings of this study showed the positive effects of information and social participation of social media tools on learning environmental issues and environmental awareness among social network users. Also, in this study, the role of environmental learning on raising awareness of environmental issues was also confirmed.

According to the results of this study, organizations and institutions active in preserving the environment should pay attention to the role of social media in order to educate and promote environmental culture.