Online Environmental Engagement Among Youth: Influence of Parents, Attitudes and Demographics

Abstract

Although young citizens may not always politically engage in the same fashion as their elders, research suggests they are using Facebook, Twitter, and other newer communication systems to mobilize politically both generally and around environmental issues. Given the declining environmental conditions facing young citizens, a national stratified quota sample of 1,096 U.S. parents and their children between the ages of 12 and 17 was conducted to investigate the factors potentially related to their efforts to persuade members of their online social networks to be more environmental. We believe that online peer persuasion is an important concept to investigate because peer persuasion can create subjective norms that ultimately may influence behavior. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that, although parents influence youth behavior (Adj. R ² = .11), the greatest variance in behavior was explained by the youth's own environmental self-efficacy, environmental news consumption, political interest, time spent online, gender, and environmental consumerism (ΔR ² = .29). Youth political interest and environmental consumerism were especially important variables in the final model. Structural equation modeling reinforced that parental influence is primarily indirect. This study appears to be among the first to link environmental consumerism with youth online peer persuasion.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The research team acknowledges support from the following sources: the Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics at the University of Arkansas; the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications and the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas; the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scholars in Health Policy Research Program at the University of Michigan; the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri; the University of Texas Office of the Vice President for Research; and the Hamel Faculty Fellowship, the Graduate School, and the Department of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin. Dhavan Shah of Wisconsin is principal investigator for this survey.

Notes

Note. Coefficients in bold illustrate the four factors that resulted from analysis.

Note. Combined sample, n = 1,096 dyads.

*p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Myria Allen

Myria Allen (Ph.D., University of Kentucky, 1988) is Professor in the Department of Communication at University of Arkansas. Her research interests include organizational and environmental communication.

Robert H. Wicks

Robert H. Wicks (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1987) is Professor in the Department of Communication at University of Arkansas. His research interests include media cognition and political communication.

Stephanie Schulte

Stephanie Schulte (Ph.D., George Washington University, 2008) is Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at University of Arkansas. Her research interests include new media and technology.