Consumption society and youth

This thesis focuses on the relationship between consumer society and youth. To characterize and explain contemporary social structures, various conceptual frameworks have been developed; in this context, concepts such as the society of the spectacle, the risk society, post-industrial society, liquid society, and postmodern society are frequently employed. However, another social condition that is decisive both locally and globally is the phenomenon of the "consumer society," in which individuals are regulated through their consumption behaviors and consumption becomes a determining factor in the formation of social identities. Consumer society can be defined as a social formation in which consumer culture exerts a decisive influence on social life and consumption assumes an ideological function. From this perspective, youth-positioned as the transitional stage between childhood and adulthood-emerges not merely as a biological or social process but also as a domain of identity and life practice shaped by the normative and cultural codes of consumer society. Through consumer culture, young people construct their identities and articulate their social belonging and individuality through the products and services they consume. Thus, youth is positioned not only as an active agent in processes of social transformation but also as a proactive participant in consumer culture; consumption, in turn, assumes a determining role not only as an economic activity but also in cultural production and identity formation. This study, which gains significance by addressing the relational dynamics between consumer society and youth from an integrated perspective, conceptualizes youth-one of the critical stages of human life that exhibits distinct physiological, psychological, and socio-cultural characteristics compared to other life phases-as a process to be examined within a sociological framework in the context of the consumer society. Entitled "Consumer Society and Youth", the research is conducted through a comprehensive literature review. By drawing on a wide range of sources, including books, scholarly articles, theses, journals, and digital resources, the study investigates the interrelation between consumer society and youth. In doing so, it situates its analysis within the contexts of shopping malls, leisure practices, hedonism, identity formation, cultural dynamics, media, and consumer behavior.