PERCEPTION OF THE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN NIŠ AMONG MEMBERS OF GENERATION Z AND THE ROLE OF DIGITAL CHANNELS IN SHAPING THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35120/sciencej0502173fKeywords:
environment, information, environmental awareness, digital channels, social networksAbstract
Informing every person is one of the most important segments that contribute to the development and deepening of awareness of the importance of environmental protection. With adequate information, the process of developing environmental awareness is shaped to the extent that the individual sees himself as an active social factor in an organized social community. Consequently, the role of man in environmental processes is increasing, because the amount of information on environmental issues is growing every day. Every individual, especially young people, by receiving timely and accurate environmental information, develops environmental awareness, which further leads to the desired results in environmental conservation. Sustainable development is the basic development concept of almost all countries today. As such, it requires that future generations have at least the same quantity and quality of resources as current generations. In order for any country to develop sustainably, it is necessary for citizens to have a developed environmental awareness. What also characterizes modern society is the process of digitalization. Members of Generation Z are digitally literate. They receive information primarily digitally, including information about the need to preserve the environment, sustainable development, and environmental disasters, which can have a major impact on the development of their environmental awareness.
The aim of this paper is to analyze the level of awareness of members of Generation Z about the state of the environment in the city of Niš, as well as to identify digital communication channels through which they receive useful messages related to the environment. The importance of identifying a specific channel or channels is reflected in the fact that public policy makers or brands that want to contribute to environmental protection through social marketing send their messages precisely through that/those channels. In order to achieve the aim of the paper, 102 members of Generation Z from the city of Niš were surveyed. The collected data was processed in the SPSS software package and the results obtained showed that in the eyes of members of this generation, the level of environmental quality is not at a satisfactory level, and that information related to the environment comes to them primarily through social networks.
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