RESUMO
Many impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic were caused on people's health and the economy of countries in its first year, especially in emerging economies such as Brazil, were dire. Social distancing and the reduction of jobs caused impacts in many organizations, which led to the adoption of strategies allowing employees to work from home, adjusting family residences into home offices while facing reduction in industrial production and a decrease in economic activities. The pandemic also changed consumption behaviors, the use of social media (social networks), and people's socioenvironmental awareness. This research aims to evaluate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of social media, on environmental awareness, on sustainable consumption awareness and on the social responsibility awareness of different generations in Brazil one year after the beginning of the pandemic. For data analysis, the structural equation modeling method was used from a final sample of 1120 respondents. The results indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic positively influences the growing in social media usage (environmental issues and social responsibility issues) and sustainable consumption awareness. The study highlights that social media usage has the ability to positively influence environmental awareness, sustainable consumption awareness, and social responsibility awareness. The results provide a framework to analyze the consequential factors of the COVID-19 pandemic on sustainability awareness and the use of social media.
RESUMO
The COVID-19 Pandemic has become a major public health concern worldwide, which can impact environmental sustainability and social responsibility, as well as people's quality of life. In this context, environmental awareness, sustainable consumption and social actions of people have been effectively changed, as a period of quarantine, social isolation and health crisis caused by Pandemic has been experienced. This study aims to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on environmental awareness, sustainable consumption and social responsibility, in the perception of Baby Boomers, X and Y generations, residents in Brazil and Portugal. The method used was quantitative research, of a descriptive character, through a survey applied to 3236 people, which was analyzed with the use of Structural Equation Modeling. The results indicate that COVID-19 Pandemic is an important vector in people's behavioral change, which reflects on environmental sustainability and social responsibility. It is noteworthy that the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic had a greater influence on sustainable consumption, followed by environmental awareness, and to a lesser extent, on social responsibility. There was also greater relevance in Portugal, as well as the perception of the Baby Boomers generation. This study also provides a framework such as metrics to measure a transformational event, which is the COVID-19 Pandemic in socio-environmental aspects and conscious consumption.