Kurdistan Regional Government Youth's Orientation towards the Role of Social Media in Developing Environmental Awareness and Ethics

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14500/kujhss.v9n2y2026.pp528-539

Keywords:

Social Networks, Environmental Awareness, Environmental Behavior, Social Learning Theory, Sociology of Media

Abstract

In light of the rapid development of social media networks and their transformation into an influential guiding force, the issue of environmental protection has become one of the most critical global concerns and is embedded within the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), requiring collective awareness. From this perspective, this study aims to determine the role of social networks in developing environmental awareness and behavior among youth in the Kurdistan Region. To achieve this objective, the study adopts a quantitative approach and a descriptive-analytical method utilizing a social survey sample to maintain scientific objectivity. Data were collected via a specialized scale from a random sample consisting of (500) young individuals across four provinces of the Kurdistan Region, including (235) males and (265) females. The results indicated that youth attitudes toward the role of social networks in promoting environmental awareness and behavior are at a very high level. Social networks were found to have a greater impact on "awareness" compared to "environmental behavior," as behavioral change requires deeper cultural and economic factors. Furthermore, the study revealed no statistically significant differences between males and females, whereas the residential location variable showed a notable effect; specifically, youth in Duhok and Halabja perceived the impact of social media more strongly than those in Erbil and Sulaymaniah. Finally, a strong and positive correlation was observed between environmental awareness and behavior. The study recommends that government institutions and educational ministries develop modern educational frameworks through social media, focus more on practical content, and support environmental content creators, while taking into account the regional variations and local needs of each province.

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Author Biographies

Dastan O. Mahmood, Department of Kindergarten, College of Basic Education, University of Raparin, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

He is a lecturer in the Kindergarten Department at the College of Primary Education, Raperin University, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Koya University and a master’s degree in Educational Sociology from Salahaddin University, Erbil. He teaches educational statistics, research methods, and kindergarten programs. His interests include education and behavioral issues.

Basida H. Anwar, Department of Education and Psychology, Faculty of Education, Koya University, Koya 44023, Kurdistan Region – F.R. Iraq

She is a lecturer in the Department of Education and Psychology at the Faculty of Education, Koya University, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Koya University and a master’s degree in Social Psychology from Salahaddin University-Erbil. Her interests include education, social psychology, and behavior.

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Published

2026-08-10

How to Cite

Ramadhan, H. A., Mahmood, D. O. and Anwar, B. H. (2026) “Kurdistan Regional Government Youth’s Orientation towards the Role of Social Media in Developing Environmental Awareness and Ethics”, KOYA UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, 9(2), pp. 528–539. doi: 10.14500/kujhss.v9n2y2026.pp528-539.

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 2 (2026): Issue Seventeenth

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Hazim A. Ramadhan, Basida H. Anwar, Dastan O. Mahmood

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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