Smartphone‐Based Nature Noticing Intervention for Cultivating Social Connectedness and Prosocial Behaviour in Female Adolescents: A Mixed Methods Study

A growing body of research indicates that exposure to nature has significant benefits for the health and well‐being of adolescents. However, few studies have assessed the benefits of simple and regular nature‐based activities for adolescents’ social connectedness and prosocial behaviour. This study assessed whether a 10‐week nature‐noticing intervention using a smartphone could improve adolescents’ connection to nature, empathy, social connectedness and prosocial behaviour. The paper utilises a sequential explanatory mixed‐methods design. A total of 127 female students (mean age 15.97; range 15–16 years) were recruited from a Hong Kong secondary school to participate in this quasi‐experimental study. Half of the students ( n = 63) were asked to take pictures of nearby nature and share their thoughts on the group chat twice a week for 10 weeks. The other half of the students ( n = 64), who were not assigned any tasks, served as the control group. All participants were asked to complete a questionnaire containing six validated scales on nature connection, empathy and social well‐being before and after the intervention period. Participants who actively shared photos of nearby nature were invited to participate in focus group discussions about their experiences with the nature‐noticing intervention. The 10‐week nature‐noticing intervention had a positive impact on female adolescents’ social connectedness, prosocial behaviour, and empathy. However, there were no significant improvements in self‐esteem. Analysing pathways linking nature connectedness to social well‐being, we found that social connectedness and prosocial behaviour are significantly predicted by nature connectedness. Regularly sharing nature‐noticing experiences with peers fostered a sense of identity, shared experience, and mutual support. This study provides evidence that a nature‐noticing intervention via photo‐taking and sharing improves students' social connectedness and prosocial behaviour. Such integrated engagement with nature may thus serve as a promising pathway for promoting social well‐being in adolescents.