The Role of Social Media in Raising Public Awareness of Sustainable Development Goals and Issues: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This study explores the role of social media in raising public awareness of sustainable development goals and issues through a systematic literature review and analytical synthesis of relevant Arabic and international literature. Adopting a descriptive-analytical systematic literature review approach, the study establishes clear inclusion and exclusion criteria to structure reviewed literature around two main themes: social media and sustainable development. The reviewed literature indicates that social media provides rapid dissemination, broad reach, and substantial opportunities for interaction and participation, making these platforms highly effective for raising awareness of environmental, health, consumer, and broader sustainable development issues. The findings suggest that the effectiveness of social media depends not only on reach, but primarily on content quality, accuracy, credibility, and its capacity to stimulate public participation. Conversely, misinformation, rumors, and limited content verification represent critical challenges that attenuate the awareness-building potential of these platforms. The study recommends developing innovative digital awareness campaigns, strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships, and adopting rigorous mechanisms for content verification and impact evaluation on public knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors.