The influence of social media addiction on compulsive buying behaviour: A comparative analysis of LGBT+ and heterosexual consumers

Abstract

Despite the significant research on the impact of social media in people's lives, little is known about the extent to which social media impacts on compulsive buying behaviour (CBB). Moreover, previous studies of this relationship sampled heterosexual or non-sexually identified populations. This study addresses this gap in knowledge by examining the impact of social media use and its addiction on CBB, together with the moderating influence of self-efficacy (SEF), through a comparative analysis of heterosexual and LGBT+ consumers. The results reveal that LGBT+ consumers are significantly more prone to both addictions than heterosexuals, but that social media addiction (SMA) has a stronger impact on CBB amongst heterosexuals. Moreover, SEF has a non-significant influence on CBB amongst both heterosexual and LGBT+ consumers and does not significantly moderate the impact of SMA on compulsive buying behaviour in either sample. Furthermore, the findings suggest that both heterosexual and LGBT+ non-compulsive consumers could be vulnerable to compulsive buying addiction through social media exposure and the fear of missing out.