Decoding the Green Narrative: Exploring the Interplay between Media Literacy and Consumer Perceptions of Greenwashing

Öz

People who consume resources without considering the future exist on the one hand, and people who have never had access to certain resources on the other. Although many businesses simply seem to adhere to sustainability, those who uphold this concept are concerned about safeguarding resources for future generations. How well-informed are customers, and what impact does media literacy have? The goal of this study is to improve comprehension of viewpoints of consumers on greenwashing and media literacy and discover whether there is a meaningful relationship between the two. This study also investigates the function of green literacy in promoting environmentally friendly behavior and sustainable consumption. A three-stage survey on greenwashing, media literacy, and demographic information was administered to 256 undergraduate students in Istanbul between October 10 and December 14, 2023. According to the study's findings, consumers' capacity to evaluate the veracity of environmental claims and greenwashing techniques is improved by greater media literacy; nevertheless, their opinions are not much effected by taking media literacy classes or events.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• corporate social responsibility
• ecomedia literacy
• green literacy
• greenwashing
• sustainability

Yeşil Anlatıyı Çözmek: Medya Okuryazarlığı ile Tüketicinin Yeşil Aklama Algısı Arasındaki Etkileşimi Keşfetmek

Öz

Bir yanda kaynakları geleceği düşünmeden tüketen insanlar varken, diğer yanda ise belirli kaynaklara hiç ulaşamamış olan insanlar bulunmaktadır. Her ne kadar pek çok işletme sürdürülebilirlik kavramına bağlı gibi görünse de sürdürülebilirlik ilkesini savunanlar, gelecek nesiller için kaynakların korunması konusunda endişe duymaktadır. Peki müşteriler bu konuda ne kadar bilgili ve medya okuryazarlığının bu alanda nasıl bir etkisi var? Bu çalışma, yeşil okuryazarlığın çevre dostu davranışı ve sürdürülebilir tüketimi teşvik etmedeki işlevini araştırırken, tüketicilerin yeşil aklama ve medya okuryazarlığı algılarının anlaşılmasını geliştirmeyi ve ikisi arasında anlamlı bir ilişki olup olmadığını tespit etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. 10 Ekim - 14 Aralık 2023 tarihleri arasında İstanbul'da 256 lisans öğrencisine yeşil aklama, medya okuryazarlığı ve demografik bilgilerle ilgili üç aşamalı bir anket uygulanmıştır. Çalışmanın bulgularına göre, tüketicilerin çevresel iddiaların ve yeşil aklama tekniklerinin doğruluğunu değerlendirme kapasiteleri daha fazla medya okuryazarlığı ile iyileşmekte; ancak medya okuryazarlığı derslerine veya etkinliklerine katılarak görüşleri çok fazla etkilenmemektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk
• eko-medya okuryazarlığı
• yeşil okuryazarlık
• yeşil aklama
• sürdürülebilirlik

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