Can Online Voices Shape a Greener Future? Strategic Bibliometric Insights into User-Generated Content and Sustainability

Abstract

User-Generated Content (UGC), facilitated by the popularity of social media and online platforms has emerged as a powerful tool influencing public perception and decision-making toward sustainability, which has become a central concern across industries. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of this contemporary nexus by analyzing a dataset of 411 articles extracted from the Scopus database. Bibliographic indicators such as co-authorship analysis and co-occurrence of keywords are employed to map recent trends, emerging themes and future directions. The findings shed light on the growing influence of social media voices in fostering sustainability, with the emergence of four major areas. Key findings include sustainable tourism practices driven by online voices & focus on corporate responsibility initiatives, insights on customer satisfaction & experience, behavioral psychology influenced by UGC and leveraging technology & analytics such as sentiment analysis in driving business growth. The study also uncovers budding research directions, including UGC’s role in urban planning and climate change discussions. This research provides valuable insights into how shared consumer experiences influence sustainable behavior, awareness and decision-making, thus offering practical implications for businesses and policymakers to leverage digital engagement for promoting sustainability.