The Motivations of Users to Participate in Sustainable Projects on Mobile Applications : The Case of Antforest
Abstract
Despite the increasing ecological awareness of contemporary global society, the complexity of motivations and practices for green consumption still poses significant obstacles to the spread of more environmentally conscious consumption patterns. With the current development of technology, digital technology has gradually become an effective way to reduce psychological distance and enhance consumers' participation in sustainable environmental behaviors. Digital technology represented by the Internet is changing the behavioral patterns of individuals participating in environmental protection and may become an effective policy tool. However, due to the scarcity of successful green sustainable software, there are few studies related to its use. This article chooses Ant Forest, a subsidiary of Alibaba Group, as a case study.
This thesis examines the factors that influence user sustainable behavior in mobile applications and the effects of mobile applications on user sustainable behavior, specifically focusing on the case of Ant Forest (AF). This study included semi-structured interviews with seven senior Ant Forest users to document and examine their experiences and ideas. Analysis of the interview data revealed that users are motivated to use Ant Forest by two primary factors: social influences and mobile application features. Furthermore, it was observed that Ant Forest has a beneficial effect on users' adoption of sustainable behaviors. While this instance took place in China, it holds significant relevance for the future advancement of research on users' sustainable behavior in mobile applications in other nations globally.