The influence of social media exposure on pro-environmental behavior

This study investigates how exposure to pro-environmental content disseminated via social media and content-sharing platforms shapes pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Drawing on the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the research examines the mediating roles of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Data were collected through an online survey of 167 French-speaking social media users who had been exposed to pro-environmental content and were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modelling, and mediation analysis with the PROCESS macro. The results indicate that exposure to such content positively influences attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, which, in turn, shape individuals’ behavioral intentions. Exposure exerts a significant total effect on intentions, and each of the three TPB constructs partially mediates this effect; once the three mediators are modelled simultaneously, the residual direct effect of exposure becomes negligible. These findings highlight the need to design pro-environmental messages that transform internal perceptions rather than merely provide information. The study advances the TPB by positioning exposure to digital content as an antecedent of its core constructs, by validating a multiple-mediation mechanism, and by applying the model to a heterogeneous, non-targeted sample to improve generalizability. From a managerial standpoint, the findings indicate that environmental content on social media fosters pro-environmental intentions when it actively engages attitudes, norms, and perceived control by offering clear benefits, social cues, and actionable guidance.