GREEN AWARENESS IN THE DIGITAL SOCIETY: SOCIAL MEDIA, YOUTH, AND THE UNEVEN TRANSLATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE INTO PRACTICE

In the digital era, environmental awareness and consumer behaviours among youth are increasingly influenced by disparate mediated information environments. This study investigated the impact of traditional and social media on environmental awareness and green consumption behaviours among university students in Vietnam, utilising a digital sociology framework that views media platforms as socially stratified institutions rather than impartial information conduits. Media exposure, environmental awareness, and consumption patterns were analysed through 250 university student surveys and quantitative sociological methods. The findings indicated a consistent disparity between students elevated environmental awareness and their restricted participation in sustainable consumption behaviours. Traditional media influenced environmental awareness, whereas social media more rapidly impacted green consumption behaviour. Environmental knowledge served as a mediator, indicating that information alone did not guarantee sustainable action. From a critical standpoint, the findings indicate that digital media settings generate varied potentials for environmental action, hence exacerbating digital inequality associated with social connection, symbolic resources, and behavioural engagement. This study connects media usage, consumption patterns, and sustainability, so contributing to discussions on digital stratification, lifestyle development, and the disparate social impacts of digitalisation in modern countries.