Environmental Perceptions of College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-20-2023
Keywords
college students, COVID-19, environmentalperceptions, socioeconomic impacts, underrepresented students
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1080/00330124.2023.2258425
Abstract
In this study, we investigate the environmental perception changes in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the almost worldwide lockdown between March and December 2020, many students experienced dramatic changes in their socioeconomic life that have affected their well-being, ability to learn, and environmental perceptions. Students were sent home from college campuses, many businesses were shut down, and changes were seen in the environment throughout the world. In many places, lockdown policies lead to improved air, water, and land quality, mainly due to fewer vehicle and anthropogenic emissions. An online survey conducted on students enrolled in the University of South Florida and Florida State University demonstrates that most students have become more environmentally conscious after the COVID-19 lockdown, indicating significant perception changes. The students’ demographic backgrounds played a major role in affecting their perception changes. Furthermore, mass media was found to have affected the student’s perceptions, which demonstrates the important role media plays in directing public opinion, especially among college students and millennia. This study also highlights the environmental issues that underrepresented students face and calls for policies to address them on both educational and socioeconomic levels.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
true
Citation / Publisher Attribution
The Professional Geographer, v. 76, issue 2, p. 133-146
Scholar Commons Citation
Kaylor, Sydney; Elshorbany, Yasin; Collins, Jennifer; and Rives, Robin, "Environmental Perceptions of College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic" (2023). School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications. 2386.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/geo_facpub/2386