The Effect of Passive Social Media Use on College Students’ Conspicuous Consumption Behavior
Keywords:
Passive Social Media Use, Social Media Use, Status Anxiety, Conspicuous ConsumptionAbstract
With the rapid proliferation of social media, college students’ usage patterns and their impact on consumption behavior have become a central focus of academic research. Drawing on Social Comparison Theory, this study investigates the relationships among passive social media use, status anxiety, conspicuous consumption, and social media use intensity. Data were collected from 401 college students through a questionnaire survey and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that passive social media use has a significant positive effect on college students’ conspicuous consumption. Status anxiety partially mediates the relationship between passive social media use and conspicuous consumption. In addition, social media use intensity positively moderates the effect of passive social media use on status anxiety, such that the relationship becomes stronger at higher levels of use intensity. These findings enrich the literature on social media use and consumer behavior and provide practical implications for guiding college students toward rational social media use, alleviating status anxiety, and reducing irrational consumption.
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