Editorial: Green Lifestyle Transformation in the Digital Era

Shengxiang She ^*

• Guangzhou College of Technology and Business, Foshan, China

Liu et al. demonstrate how spiritual values can drive tangible environmental action. By examining Wat Chak Daeng's plastic waste management-rooted in Buddhist principles of reducing, reusing, and recycling-the study challenges technocentric solutions. It reveals how cultural narratives, when amplified through community engagement, foster intrinsic motivation and scalable practices. This work underscores the need to integrate local wisdom into global sustainability frameworks.Chen et al.'s highlights universities as incubators of sustainability. Analyzing Chinese students, the study shows how green campus initiatives, institutional policies, and hands-on education cultivate eco-conscious intentions and habits. The findings advocate for holistic institutional ecosystems that normalize sustainability, from cafeterias to curricula, shaping future generations' lifestyles.Behavioral spillovers emerge as critical levers. Wang and Zhang reveals how children's actions trigger parental guilt, motivating families to adopt greener practices. Conversely, Frezza's applies the Identity and Practice Interdependence Framework to Brazilian steelworkers, showing how workplace sustainability programs-when reinforced by socio-material support-spark home routines. Both studies emphasize the ripple effects of structured interventions across life domains.The digital realm's power to shape choices is dissected across three articles. Chen et al.'s proposes an Embodied-Enactive Cognition Model, arguing that immersive gameplay fosters pro-environmental decision-making by merging cognitive, emotional, and sensory engagement. Meanwhile, Wu and Long's links social media marketing to green consumerism, identifying trust and perceived value as key mediators. Finally, Chen et al.'s demonstrates how vivid digital narratives evoke eco-guilt and empathy, steering tourists toward sustainable choices. Together, these articles map how digital platforms-whether gamified, social, or immersive-can turn abstract climate goals into relatable, actionable behaviors.The contributions collectively reframe sustainability as a sociotechnical challenge. Digital tools alone cannot drive transformation; they must intersect with cultural values, institutional accountability, and policy frameworks. For instance, while Ant Forest-style gamification engages millions, its impact depends on equitable access to technology and safeguards against greenwashing. Similarly, workplace spillovers require corporate policies that reward sustainable identities, not just compliance. The Research Topic also exposes critical tensions: Can digital platforms reconcile individualized nudges with collective systemic change? How do we balance data-driven efficiency with privacy and inclusivity? These questions demand interdisciplinary collaboration, bridging environmental science, behavioral psychology, and tech ethics.Green Lifestyle Transformation in the Digital Era is a call to reorient technology's role-from enabling convenience to fostering stewardship. The articles illustrate that sustainability is not a solitary pursuit but a networked endeavor, shaped by families, schools, workplaces, and algorithms. As editors, we envision this Topic as a catalyst for designing digital ecosystems that amplify empathy, equity, and ecological resilience. The path forward lies not in techno-utopianism but in grounding innovation in humanity's deepest values-ensuring bytes serve both people and the planet.Chen X, Cheng Z-f and Yang H-j (2024) Empowering pro-environmental behavior in tourists through digital media: the inffuence of eco-guilt and empathy with nature. Front. Psychol. 15:1387817. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1387817 Wu M andLong R (2024) How do perceptions of information usefulness and green trust inffuence intentions toward eco-friendly purchases in a social media context? Front. Psychol. 15:1429454. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1429454 Chen J, He M, Chen J and Zhang C (2024) Exploring the role and mechanisms of environmental serious games in promoting pro-environmental decision-making: a focused literature review and future research agenda. Front. Psychol. 15:1455005. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1455005 Frezza M (2024) Spillover of sustainable routines from work to private life: application of the