A qualitative study on the consumption experiences of women who shop via social media

This study aims to analyze the consumption experiences of women who shop through social media from a sociological perspective. In postmodern society, where consumption has moved beyond being merely an economic activity and has become a cultural phenomenon that shapes individuals' identities, social status, and sense of belonging, social media platforms have emerged as new spaces of consumption. Particularly on visually oriented platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, consumption is no longer limited to meeting needs but is intertwined with the pursuit of visibility, social approval, and social recognition. In this context, digital practices such as "liking," "saving," and "adding to cart" make the emotional and symbolic dimensions of contemporary consumption visible. In this study, the consumption motivations, decision-making processes, and the role of digital images influencing these processes among women who shop via social media are examined through in-depth interviews. The research aims to reveal how women's consumption behaviors are shaped not only by socio-demographic characteristics such as age, occupation, and marital status, but also by the influence of social media influencers, the desire for digital visibility, and cultural norms. Adopting a qualitative research design, the study conducts semi-structured interviews with 15 female participants, and the data are analyzed using thematic content analysis. This study reveals that participants interpret and legitimize their consumption practices through religious references. Concepts such as "waste" (israf), "need," "intention," and "moderation" play a central role in framing consumption decisions within a moral discourse. The findings indicate that waste is not perceived as a fixed or objective category but rather as a flexible and individually negotiated moral boundary. Participants frequently redefine certain purchases as "needs," thereby aligning their consumption with religious norms. Influenced by social media aesthetics, symbolic and visually oriented consumption practices increasingly become incorporated into the category of necessity. This dynamic reflects the effort of the modern pious female subject to maintain moral coherence while simultaneously participating in contemporary consumer culture. This thesis aims to make an original contribution to understanding the impact of social media-oriented digital consumption on individuals' everyday life practices and identity construction. Furthermore, by revealing how consumption culture is reflected in women's consumer roles, emotional gratification, and forms of social bonding, the study seeks to contribute to the literature at both theoretical and empirical levels. Keywords: Consumption Culture, Social Media Consumption, Women's Consumer Behavior