{"title":"How Do Instagram Messages Affect the Use of Renewable Energy? -- Application of an Extended Information Adoption Model","authors":"N. Komendantova, T. Zobeidi, M. Yazdanpanah","doi":"10.3808/jei.202400515","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"As social media can play an important role in creating awareness of the need to mitigate climate change and of the benefits of renewable energy (RE), we examined the influences of social media on attitudes to renewable energy, including intention to use it. This study is novel in two ways: it simultaneously considers message characteristics and message-receiver perceptions as factors influencing the acceptance of renewable energy; and it is also the first study to use an extended information adoption model to evaluate the impact of Instagram on information adoption and the intention to use renewable energy sources. Our questionnaire, based on the theory of information adoption, included items on attitude toward information and trust in Instagram, and was randomly distributed online among followers of renewable energy pages on Instagram. A total of 173 people completed the questionnaire. Structural equation modeling showed that quality of argument had a positive and direct effect on the perceived usefulness of information. Source credibility as a peripheral path also indirectly increased perceived usefulness by changing attitude toward information. Moreover, perceived usefulness had a direct impact on information adoption and increased information adoption through trust of the materials.\n","PeriodicalId":54840,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Informatics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":6.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Environmental Informatics","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3808/jei.202400515","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
As social media can play an important role in creating awareness of the need to mitigate climate change and of the benefits of renewable energy (RE), we examined the influences of social media on attitudes to renewable energy, including intention to use it. This study is novel in two ways: it simultaneously considers message characteristics and message-receiver perceptions as factors influencing the acceptance of renewable energy; and it is also the first study to use an extended information adoption model to evaluate the impact of Instagram on information adoption and the intention to use renewable energy sources. Our questionnaire, based on the theory of information adoption, included items on attitude toward information and trust in Instagram, and was randomly distributed online among followers of renewable energy pages on Instagram. A total of 173 people completed the questionnaire. Structural equation modeling showed that quality of argument had a positive and direct effect on the perceived usefulness of information. Source credibility as a peripheral path also indirectly increased perceived usefulness by changing attitude toward information. Moreover, perceived usefulness had a direct impact on information adoption and increased information adoption through trust of the materials.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Environmental Informatics (JEI) is an international, peer-reviewed, and interdisciplinary publication designed to foster research innovation and discovery on basic science and information technology for addressing various environmental problems. The journal aims to motivate and enhance the integration of science and technology to help develop sustainable solutions that are consensus-oriented, risk-informed, scientifically-based and cost-effective. JEI serves researchers, educators and practitioners who are interested in theoretical and/or applied aspects of environmental science, regardless of disciplinary boundaries. The topics addressed by the journal include:
- Planning of energy, environmental and ecological management systems
- Simulation, optimization and Environmental decision support
- Environmental geomatics - GIS, RS and other spatial information technologies
- Informatics for environmental chemistry and biochemistry
- Environmental applications of functional materials
- Environmental phenomena at atomic, molecular and macromolecular scales
- Modeling of chemical, biological and environmental processes
- Modeling of biotechnological systems for enhanced pollution mitigation
- Computer graphics and visualization for environmental decision support
- Artificial intelligence and expert systems for environmental applications
- Environmental statistics and risk analysis
- Climate modeling, downscaling, impact assessment, and adaptation planning
- Other areas of environmental systems science and information technology.