The evaluation of conspicuous consumption tendency of X, Y, and Z generations in social media usage

Globalization has become a socio-cultural phenomenon with rapidly evolving technology and the virtual world presented to the individual. In this context, nowadays individuals are using social media as a means of showing own conspicuous consumption behaviours to other people. Therefore, via social media, individuals are able to transfer to other individuals their lifestyles such as objects they have, the places they visit, the foods they eat and the activities they perform leisure time. With these behaviors in social media, the individual seeks to create an image that strive to differentiate themselves from other individuals by reflecting their social status and the social classes they are in. On the other hand, as in the consumption styles, the tendency to conspicuous consumption can be different from individual to individual. The purpose of this study is to identify the conspicuous consumption tendencies of X, Y and Z generations in social media usage and to identify the differences of that tendecies between these generations. For this purpose, quantitative research method was used in the study, conspicuous consumption tendency in social media usage scale was developed and data were collected through questionnaire. In this study which was carried out in the county of Tepebaşı and Odunpazarı of Eskişehir using quota sampling method, it was examined whether the conspicuous consumption tendency of the X, Y, and Z generations in social media usage differed according to gender, income status, education status and generation variables. As a result, it is found that there is a significant difference in the conspicuous consumption tendency in social media between generations.