نقش رسانه‌های اجتماعی و فناوری دیجیتال در افزایش مشارکت خیریه‌ای در استان‌های ایران

This study aims to examine the role of social media and digital technology in enhancing charitable participation across the provinces of Iran. Considering the growing importance of charitable engagement for social and economic development and the increasing influence of digital media, the study investigates both the direct and indirect effects of these tools on charitable participation. The study population includes all 31 provinces of Iran during the period of 2016–2024, with data collected from official national databases and nonprofit organization reports. The main variables include charitable participation as the dependent variable, social media and digital technology as independent variables, and three control variables: household per capita income growth rate, social capital, and education level. Given the panel structure of the data and the unequal distribution of charitable participation across provinces, the panel quantile regression method was employed to estimate the effects across nine quantiles, using EViews version 13 for analysis. The findings indicated that social media and digital technology have significant positive effects on charitable participation, with stronger impacts observed in higher quantiles. Furthermore, the interaction between social media and digital technology demonstrates a significant synergistic effect, showing that the simultaneous use of both tools maximizes participation in provinces with medium to high engagement. Social capital serves as a stable driver, while education and income act as reinforcing factors facilitating participation. Direct and indirect effect analysis suggests that policy interventions simultaneously focus on developing social networks, enhancing digital infrastructure, and strengthening social capital to optimize charitable participation.
Extended Abstract:
Introduction
The digital revolution has fundamentally altered the mechanisms through which nonprofit organizations communicate with donors and volunteers. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp, and other online communication channels have enabled charitable organizations to disseminate information rapidly, establish stronger relationships with donors, and improve public trust through greater transparency. Simultaneously, advances in digital technology, including online payment systems, crowdfunding platforms, mobile applications, and electronic financial services, have simplified donation processes and lowered transaction costs associated with charitable giving.
Theoretical perspectives suggest several mechanisms through which digital communication influences charitable behavior. Social capital theory argues that online interactions strengthen interpersonal trust and collective identity, thereby encouraging prosocial behavior. Information diffusion theory proposes that digital media accelerates the dissemination of charitable campaigns, increasing awareness and participation. Technology acceptance theory further indicates that ease of use and perceived usefulness of digital platforms encourage individuals to adopt online charitable services. These perspectives imply that the combined use of social media and digital technologies may produce greater impacts than either factor alone.
Iran has experienced remarkable growth in internet accessibility, smartphone penetration, and digital financial services during the last decade. However, substantial differences remain across provinces regarding digital infrastructure, education, income levels, and social capital. These disparities may influence the effectiveness of digital tools in promoting charitable participation. Consequently, estimating only average effects may conceal important regional differences. To address this issue, the present study employs panel quantile regression, allowing the effects of explanatory variables to vary across different levels of charitable participation.
Accordingly, this research aims to answer three main questions: (1) Do social media and digital technology significantly increase charitable participation across Iranian provinces? (2) Does the interaction between these two factors create complementary or synergistic effects? (3) How do these effects vary across provinces with low, medium, and high levels of charitable participation?
Methodology
This study adopts an applied quantitative research design using provincial panel data covering all 31 provinces of Iran over the period of 2016–2024. The balanced panel dataset was constructed using information obtained from official national statistical databases, governmental publications, and reports published by nonprofit and charitable organizations. The provincial level of analysis enables the study to capture regional differences in both digital development and charitable participation.
The dependent variable is charitable participation, measured using provincial indicators reflecting the level of charitable engagement. The principal explanatory variables are social media and digital technology. Social media represents the diffusion and utilization of online communication platforms that facilitate charitable interaction, while digital technology reflects the availability and adoption of digital infrastructure and electronic technologies supporting charitable activities. To reduce omitted variable bias, three control variables are incorporated into the empirical model: household per capita income growth rate, social capital, and education level. These variables represent the economic, social, and human capital dimensions that are expected to influence charitable behavior.
To investigate both direct and indirect relationships, an interaction term between social media and digital technology is included in the estimation model. This specification allows the study to evaluate whether simultaneous improvements in both variables generate larger effects than their independent contributions.
Considering the panel structure of the data and the unequal distribution of charitable participation across provinces, panel quantile regression is employed as the primary estimation technique. Unlike conventional panel regression methods that estimate only average effects, panel quantile regression estimates coefficients across multiple conditional quantiles, thereby revealing heterogeneous relationships among provinces with different participation levels. Nine quantiles are estimated to examine how the influence of explanatory variables changes from lower to higher participation provinces.
Prior to estimation, descriptive statistics and diagnostic tests were conducted to evaluate data consistency and model suitability. The empirical analysis was performed using EViews version 13. Statistical significance was evaluated using conventional confidence levels, and coefficient comparisons across quantiles were used to assess heterogeneous effects.
Results and Discussion
The empirical findings demonstrate that both social media and digital technology exert statistically significant positive effects on charitable participation across Iranian provinces. However, the magnitude of these effects differs substantially across the conditional distribution of charitable participation.
The estimated coefficients indicate relatively smaller effects within lower quantiles, suggesting that provinces with limited charitable engagement benefit less from digital communication tools. As charitable participation increases, the estimated impacts become progressively stronger, indicating that digital technologies are more effective in provinces where favorable institutional and social conditions already exist. These findings reveal considerable heterogeneity that would remain hidden under conventional mean regression approaches.
The interaction between social media and digital technology is found to be positive and statistically significant across the middle and upper quantiles. This result confirms the existence of a synergistic relationship whereby the simultaneous expansion of digital infrastructure and social media usage produces larger improvements in charitable participation than either variable independently. In practical terms, provinces with more developed digital ecosystems experience greater returns from investments in online communication platforms and digital services.
Among the control variables, social capital consistently exhibits a positive and statistically significant relationship with charitable participation across nearly all quantiles. This finding supports the argument that trust, social networks, and civic engagement constitute fundamental drivers of philanthropic behavior. Provinces characterized by stronger social cohesion demonstrate higher responsiveness to digital communication strategies.
Household per capita income growth rate also contributes positively to charitable participation, although its estimated influence varies across quantiles. Higher income levels provide households with greater financial capacity to participate in charitable activities, particularly in provinces where participation is already relatively high. Similarly, education level displays a positive association with charitable participation by increasing awareness, civic responsibility, and digital literacy. Better-educated populations appear more willing to adopt online charitable platforms and participate in technology-enabled philanthropic activities.
The results collectively indicate that digital transformation alone is insufficient to maximize charitable participation unless accompanied by adequate social capital, educational development, and supportive economic conditions. Digital infrastructure creates opportunities for participation, while social and economic factors determine the extent to which those opportunities are utilized.
Overall, the findings are consistent with theoretical expectations derived from social capital theory, information diffusion theory, and technology acceptance theory. The study also extends previous empirical research by demonstrating that the benefits of digital transformation are not uniformly distributed across regions but instead depend on existing levels of charitable engagement and complementary socioeconomic conditions.
Conclusion
This study provides empirical evidence that social media and digital technology play significant roles in enhancing charitable participation across the provinces of Iran. Their positive impacts are observed throughout the distribution of charitable participation but become substantially stronger among provinces with medium and high participation levels. Furthermore, the significant interaction effect demonstrates that coordinated investments in digital infrastructure and social media development generate greater benefits than isolated interventions.
The results emphasize the importance of adopting integrated policy strategies that simultaneously strengthen digital infrastructure, expand internet accessibility, improve digital literacy, encourage nonprofit organizations to utilize social media effectively, and reinforce social capital through community-based initiatives. Educational programs promoting digital skills and civic engagement can further increase the effectiveness of digital technologies in supporting charitable participation. Likewise, reducing regional inequalities in digital access may help lower-performing provinces benefit more substantially from technological advances.
From a methodological perspective, the application of panel quantile regression provides valuable insights into heterogeneous regional responses that cannot be identified through conventional regression models. Future studies may extend this research by incorporating micro-level household data, investigating behavioral determinants of online charitable giving, or examining the influence of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and digital payment innovations on philanthropic activities.