The intersection of digital practices and environmental orientations: exploring digital-environmental habitus

Purpose This study aims to examine how environmental dispositions and digital expertise influence sustainable digital behaviors. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of habitus, we test the notion of a “digital-environmental habitus” to explain how ecological values transfer into the digital domain. The research addresses gaps in understanding how pro-environmental orientations shape digital practices in high-connectivity contexts. Focusing on Denmark, where green and digital agendas are strongly integrated, the study evaluates whether digital awareness mediates these behaviors and whether digital skills amplify or inhibit eco-centric and benefit-oriented digital engagement. Design/methodology/approach The study relies on data from a stratified survey of 532 Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) users in Denmark. We construct four indices – environmental dispositions, digital expertise, digital-environmental awareness and digital-environmental behaviors – using factor analysis. Hypotheses are tested through path structural modeling and hierarchical regressions. Mediation and interaction effects are analyzed using bootstrapping and interaction terms to assess how digital expertise and awareness condition behavioral outcomes. The model integrates Bourdieusian habitus with digital and environmental competencies, offering an operational framework to investigate how embodied environmental values influence sustainable digital action in digitally mature societies. Findings Both eco-centric and benefit-oriented environmental dispositions positively predict digital-environmental awareness. However, awareness mediates only benefit-oriented behaviors. Digital expertise enhances awareness but does not independently drive eco-centric behaviors; only its interaction with awareness predicts such actions. By contrast, benefit-oriented digital behaviors are directly associated with digital expertise. Gender, age and household size shape behavioral patterns. These findings suggest that digital competence is a necessary but insufficient condition for sustainable digital engagement. Instead, digital expertise functions conditionally, depending on users’ environmental dispositions and awareness levels. The study challenges techno-optimism by emphasizing the importance of aligning skills with internalized ecological values. Practical implications The findings advocate for policies that integrate ethical digital education to enhance eco-friendly ICT behaviors, particularly in advanced digital societies like Denmark. By raising awareness of digital environmental impacts, policymakers can promote sustainable practices that mitigate risks like carbon emissions while leveraging technology for human flourishing. Strategies should emphasize benefits of ethical digital use, encouraging adoption among diverse groups, such as older users and females, through targeted interventions. Aligning digital and environmental strategies, as Denmark does, can guide global efforts to harness ICTs ethically, ensuring technology supports sustainability and equitable access while minimizing environmental harm. Social implications This study highlights ICTs’ potential to foster ethical environmental behaviors, promoting societal sustainability in digital societies. In Denmark, where digital access is near-universal, integrating environmental awareness into digital practices can reduce ecological risks, enhancing collective responsibility. Larger households adopting eco-centric behaviors suggest social policies can support ethical technology use, particularly in supportive welfare contexts. The findings advocate for inclusive digital education to empower diverse groups, addressing ethical disparities in technology access and usage. By mitigating digital environmental impacts, this approach contributes to global efforts for ethical ICT use, fostering human flourishing amidst environmental challenges. Originality/value This study offers the first empirical test of the digital-environmental habitus in a high-penetration digital context. It advances theoretical integration by operationalizing how environmental and digital capitals intersect in shaping pro-environmental behaviors. Unlike models based solely on rational choice or intention (e.g. TPB, VBN), the study highlights how sustainable digital practices are structured by habitus, field conditions and capital conversion. It provides a replicable analytical model for cross-national comparison, especially relevant for policymakers aiming to link digital literacy with environmental responsibility. The study also contributes methodologically by distinguishing eco-centric from benefit-driven behaviors, capturing the motivational plurality of digital environmental action.