The Role of Social Platforms in Promoting Green Travel and Urban Greenways: A Study on the Contribution of Ugc and Interactive Mechanisms on Public Participation, Social Investment and Social Evaluation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52152/RCR.V14.10Keywords:
Social media, Green travel, User-generated content (UGC), Public engagement, Sustainable urban initiativesAbstract
This study investigates the role of social media in promoting green travel and urban greenways, focusing on user-generated content (UGC), interactive features, peer influence, and challenges to sustained engagement. Using a systematic literature review (SLR) approach, 35 peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2023 were analyzed to explore how social media facilitates public participation in sustainability initiatives. The findings reveal that UGC personalizes environmental issues, making them more relatable and actionable, while interactive features like likes, comments, and shares enhance engagement by providing validation and fostering a sense of community. Peer influence, particularly from friends and influencers, further motivates individuals to adopt sustainable practices. However, challenges such as greenwashing, performative activism, and eco-anxiety were identified as barriers to sustained engagement. Greenwashing diminishes trust in environmental content, performative activism highlights superficial engagement, and eco-anxiety reduces users’ motivation to act. These limitations underscore the need for improved transparency, gamification strategies, and community-building tools to enhance social media’s role in promoting sustainability. Verified content, local collaboration features, and solution-focused messaging were recommended to bridge the gap between digital awareness and real-world action. This study concludes that social media has significant potential to foster green practices, but its effectiveness depends on addressing credibility issues and leveraging its interactive and community-building capabilities. These insights provide valuable implications for policymakers, environmental organizations, and platform designers seeking to optimize public engagement in sustainability efforts.
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