The effects of adolescents' digital and environmental literacy on parents’ green consumption: A reverse intergenerational socialization perspective

Drawing on reverse socialization theory, this study examines how adolescents' digital and environmental literacy influence parents' green consumption behavior (GCB). Using matched adolescent–parent survey data, we employ PLS-SEM to test net and mediating effects and fsQCA to identify configurational pathways leading to high levels of parents' GCB. The results show that adolescents' digital literacy and environmental literacy are both positively associated with parents' GCB. Parents' decision-making confidence mediates the relationship between adolescents' digital literacy and parents' GCB, reflecting a capability empowerment pathway, whereas parents' personal norms mediate the relationship between adolescents' environmental literacy and parents' GCB, reflecting a norm activation pathway. The fsQCA results further identify nine configurational pathways, indicating that parents’ GCB is characterized by equifinality and conditional substitution. This study extends reverse socialization theory to the context of family green consumption and offers practical implications for promoting green consumption within families.