Transmedia Edutainment for Sustainable Advocacy: How Narrative Engagement and Counterarguments Influence Generation Z’s Response to Sustainable Development Messages

Abstract

Media convergence has created new forms of storytelling, such as transmedia edutainment (TE-E), which can serve as an innovative communication strategy for promoting pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. Because of the limited evidence about the persuasive outcomes of narrative TE-E, this research investigates the role of TE-E as a novel communication approach that advocates for sustainable development among Generation Z. Drawing on narrative persuasion theories, we conducted an experiment (N = 441) that examined the narrative mechanisms of TE-E, focusing on narrative engagement and counterargument, and assessed the narrative outcomes of different single formats—including video, game, and comic—compared with TE-E. Findings revealed that TE-E effectively minimized counterarguing compared with other single platforms, yet the video format strongly fostered narrative engagement. Overall, this research provides practical contributions for environmental advocates in designing a successful TE-E.