Do Social Media Platforms Control the Sustainable Purchase Intentions of Younger People?

Japheth Nuhu Ahmed, Ahmet Adalıer, Hale Özgit () and Marjan Kamyabi
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Japheth Nuhu Ahmed: Department of Business Administration, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Cyprus International University, 99258 Nicosia, Turkey
Ahmet Adalıer: Department of Management Information Systems, School of Applied Sciences, Cyprus International University, 99258 Nicosia, Turkey
Hale Özgit: School of Tourism and Hotel Management, Cyprus International University, 99258 Nicosia, Turkey
Marjan Kamyabi: School of Tourism and Hotel Management, Cyprus International University, 99258 Nicosia, Turkey

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 12, 1-24

Abstract: Social media platforms have transformed communication, engagement, and consumer interaction, significantly influencing sustainable consumption behaviour. With the vast array of social networking and media options available, marketing professionals actively leverage these platforms to shape consumer preferences and purchasing decisions. This study investigates the impact of social media platforms on the sustainable consumption decisions of young people. Adopting a quantitative research methodology, the study employed judgemental sampling to select participants. Data were gathered from 450 respondents via an online questionnaire, and the proposed relationships were assessed using structural equation modelling (SEM) with SmartPLS version 4 to provide a thorough statistical evaluation. Research findings indicate that social media marketing has a substantial impact on sustainable purchase intentions, content quality, and behavioural engagement. Furthermore, the quality of content and levels of behavioural engagement significantly affect sustainable purchase intentions. However, the findings suggest that the social media platforms used for information retrieval do not significantly influence intentions to make sustainable purchases. This study contributes to marketing research by developing a model that examines how social media platforms influence young people’s intentions to purchase sustainably, as well as the impact of social media marketing, engagement, and content quality on these intentions.

Keywords: platform; business; internet; marketing; social media; sustainable purchase intentions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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