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Role of Social Media in Managing Knowledge of the Young Generation in the Sustainability Area

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  • Arnold Pabian

    (Department of Management, Czestochowa University of Technology, 42-201 Czestochowa, Poland)

  • Barbara Pabian

    (Department of Management, University of Economics in Katowice, 40-287 Katowice, Poland)

Abstract

Knowledge plays a significant role in the area of sustainability. It is indispensable for taking the right pro-environmental and pro-social action. One of its sources is social media. The young generation is the largest group of social media users. The aim of this article is to discover whether social media is properly fulfilling its role in managing the sustainability knowledge of the young generation, taking into account the acquisition, collection and development of knowledge, as well as its dissemination and use. To address this issue, the authors conducted a survey on a representative sample of 1100 persons aged 15–24. The survey was quantitative in nature. The research tool constituted a survey form. The CAWI (computer-assisted web interview) technique was used to collect information. The collected data was analysed using mainly exploratory data analysis. Column, bar and line charts were used to visualise the data. The study discovered that social media, although highly popular among young people, makes an insufficient contribution to the management of their knowledge in the area studied. A significant proportion of the young generation rarely or never encounter sustainability content in these media (48.1% on average). On average, 22.7% of young people find this content unattractive. The majority of young people (60% or more) do not read all sustainability messages in detail. Approximately 1/3 of the young generation does not gather or develop knowledge in this area. A significant proportion of young people do not share such knowledge and, even worse, it does not inspire them to take up environmental and pro-social activities. The conclusions of the study and the solutions proposed by the authors can contribute to a better use of social media in the management of the young generation’s sustainability knowledge.

Suggested Citation

  • Arnold Pabian & Barbara Pabian, 2023. "Role of Social Media in Managing Knowledge of the Young Generation in the Sustainability Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-16, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:7:p:6008-:d:1111932
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Deborah E. Lange, 2010. "Data and Methods," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Power and Influence, chapter 0, pages 175-188, Palgrave Macmillan.
    5. De Luca, Francesco & Iaia, Lea & Mehmood, Asad & Vrontis, Demetris, 2022. "Can social media improve stakeholder engagement and communication of Sustainable Development Goals? A cross-country analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    6. Zafar, Abaid Ullah & Shen, Jie & Ashfaq, Muhammad & Shahzad, Mohsin, 2021. "Social media and sustainable purchasing attitude: Role of trust in social media and environmental effectiveness," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
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    1. Maryam Al-Hail & Mariem Fekih Zguir & Muammer Koç, 2024. "Exploring Digital Learning Opportunities and Challenges in Higher Education Institutes: Stakeholder Analysis on the Use of Social Media for Effective Sustainability of Learning–Teaching–Assessment in ," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-30, July.

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