The global environmental crisis demands urgent strategies to cultivate environmental awareness, particularly among youth. This study aims to analyse and compare the influence of local culture and digital media on fostering environmentally conscious character among university students in Indonesia. An ex post facto design with multivariate correlation was employed. The sample included 228 biology education students from three universities in Indonesia who had completed the Environmental Knowledge course. Data were collected via an online questionnaire consisting of 15 Likert-scale items and five open-ended questions. Expert judgment was used to validate the instrument, and reliability scores for all constructs exceeded α = 0.78. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression were used for quantitative analysis, supported by qualitative coding of open responses. A statistically non-significant and weak correlation was found between local culture and environmental character (r = 0.185; p = 0.323). Strikingly, only 2% of respondents demonstrated awareness of local environmental cultural values, highlighting an alarming disconnect between youth and traditional ecological wisdom. Meanwhile, digital media showed a statistically significant but practically weak relationship (r = 0.150; t = 2.27; p = 0.024). This statistical significance may be attributed to the large sample size and should not be interpreted as a strong practical effect. Students frequently cited digital platforms such as TikTok and Instagram as sources of ecological content. While digital media offers an accessible entry point for environmental messaging, its real-world impact is limited. Conversely, local culture holds deep contextual potential that is currently underutilized. A key limitation of this study is its specific sample of biology education students who likely possess higher baseline environmental knowledge, potentially skewing results. Future studies should include more diverse academic disciplines to improve generalizability. These findings underscore the urgency of integrating cultural ecological values into youth education via engaging digital formats. Keywords: digital media, environmentally conscious character, local culture.
Chastanti et al. (Sat,) studied this question.