The influence of social media usage, self-image congruity and self-esteem on conspicuous online consumption among millennials

Abstract

PurposeDriven by social comparison and self-congruity theories, this paper's aim was to investigate the associations with Korean millennials' usage of social media, self-image congruity and conspicuous online consumption. The mediating influence of self-image congruity and the moderating effect of self-esteem were also examined.Design/methodology/approachThese data were gathered through an online research portal from 302 Korean millennials. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses and moderated mediation analysis using Hayes PROCESS macro were applied to test proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe result of the structural equation analyses showed strong, positive associations between social media usage, self-image congruity and conspicuous online consumption, while self-image congruity also acted as a mediator between Korean millennials' usage of social media and conspicuous online consumption. Moreover, in moderated mediation analysis, the pathway between self-image congruity and conspicuous online consumption was stronger for millennials with higher self-esteem.Originality/valueMillennials' social media usage and conspicuous consumption are widely acknowledged in consumer research. However, little is known about how millennials' social media usage could influence their conspicuous online consumption through mediating and moderating mechanisms such as self-image congruity and self-esteem. This research extends previous studies by analyzing these mechanisms.

Conspicuous Consumption on Gen Z in Indonesia

“…Social media usage is showing a positive and significant influence on conspicuous consumption [16] stated that social media could form conspicuous consumption on its users, and the results of this study confirm its statement that social media can effect to conspicuous consumption. Similar studies also reinforce this argument, such as [22] and [25].…”

“…Social media usage is having a significant positive influence on self-image. By research [25] it strengthen this result, which has a significant influence on social media usage against self-image because, with social media, individuals can increase their relationships using the platform in this study is YouTube to get acquainted with others and use Social Media to share their activities. In multiplying relationships by using the YouTube platform, content creators (or video creators) often include other social media such as Instagram or Twitter in their Bio so that viewers can reach the content creator or state their other social media in the video they upload.…”

“…The survey distributed to respondents from generation Z was disseminated Online, and the scale used to measure was a Likert scale of 1-5. The model has drawn by [25]…”

“…Previous research on conspicuous consumption, in general, can be seen in the research [17] [22] [23] and conspicuous consumption, However, research on how social based on researcher observe that Media affects conspicuous consumption is still very little researched Burnasheva and Suh's research (2020) [25] suggests researching generations other than Millennials.…”

Thirty years and “I'm still Lovin’ it!”: brand perceptions of McDonald's among generation Y and generation Z consumers in China

“…Dalla Pozza et al (2017) review the profiles of Generation Y consumers in terms of their levels of desire for personalized interpersonal relationships, independently seeking to save time and energy, and relying heavily on parental consultation. With respect to channel selection, Generation Y mainly shares and searches for consumption on social media platforms (Bolton et al, 2013;Hammedi et al, 2015;Nguyen and Nguyen, 2020;Burnasheva and Suh, 2021). Although Generation Y, as a super-interconnected generation, is widely considered to only be interested in virtual channels such as social media, research by Dalla Pozza et al (2017) shows that they still need interpersonal interaction in purchasing, or what Vermeir and Verbeke (2006) call social desirability, especially when purchasing insurance or other complex products.…”