Consumer Insights Report: Social Media Consumption Analysis

This report delves into the psychological and individual factors that influence the consumer behavior of 'silver surfers' on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. It examines key concepts like perception and learning, highlighting how these psychological elements shape consumer...Read More

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Consumer Insights
Abstract
Consumer behavior is influenced by multiple factors; one of the factors is
psychological factors which involve the psychology of an individual that drive his actions
to seek satisfaction. The recent technological advancements of social media platforms
have yielded about a different behavior of consumption that is influenced by both
psychological and individual factors but on compelling levels. The advent of social
media has opened new avenues of consumer behavior. Technological trends and
innovations in the present time revolve around the so-called 'silver surfers', it, therefore,
emphasizes the perceived wants and needs of the target users most of them being the
young generation. The younger individuals, however, are influenced by individual and
psychological factors which this report is going to focus on. The ongoing innovative
headways of internet-based life stages have yielded about an alternate conduct of
utilization that is impacted by both mental and individual factors however on convincing
levels. The approach of internet-based life has opened new roads of customer conduct.
Mechanical patterns and advancements in the present time rotate around the supposed
'silver surfers', it, subsequently, stresses the apparent needs and needs of the objective
clients the greater part of them being the youthful age.
Conceptual and perception model
Sethna & Blythe (2016) states that the first psychological factors are perception
while perception of consumer behavior is defined as the way in which something is
understood regarded and interpreted by different individuals. Perception is a key factor

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in consumer behavior in the fields of technology and social media. The young
generation ‘silver surfers’ have their own perception towards the use of social media
platforms especially Instagram and Facebook, they interpret the platforms as a mode of
socializing, developing their businesses in terms of customer base and social media
marketing. Consumer perceptions of young people in using social media varies from
different individuals, a study conducted by a professor on young students perceptions
on social media shown that Instagram and Facebook are the most preferred platforms,
some of them stated that Instagram is a lifestyle since they socialize through stories,
additionally most of the students also admitted that they are able to use social media
platforms strategically and intuitively for business purposes (Erlenkamp, 2004).
Figure 1: Perceptional and Conceptual Model
Learning and behavior model

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The second psychological factor is learning, however, considered as an
individual factor since it depends on the person’s skills, purpose, and knowledge. Most
of the people in the recent generation are exposed to technology devices that put them
on a behavioral learning process at early ages. The frequent use of these devices acts
as a form of conditional learning where individuals are conditioned to the stimuli of using
these devices and social media platforms. Conditional learning as defined by Ian Pavlov
refers to the classical conditioning that occurs automatically involving an individual’s
adjustment to certain stimuli which acquire the capacity to provoke a response that was
originally evoked by another stimulus. Buyer impression of youngsters in utilizing online
networking shifts from various people, an investigation directed by an educator on
youthful understudies recognitions via web-based networking media demonstrated that
facebook and Instagram are the most favored stages, some of them expressed that
Instagram is a way of life since they associate through stories, moreover the greater
part of the understudies additionally conceded that they can utilize web-based life
stages deliberately and naturally for business purposes (Lantos, 2015).
Figure 2: consumer behavior theory
The greater part of the people need to keep up an alternate sort of way of life
which constrains them to request products and ventures not quite the same as other
individuals. So also, web-based life can be considered as a type of way of life most
common among the adolescents, this way of life what's more powers impact of utilizing

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internet-based life stages among the young people consequently raising the utilization
of the gadgets and in addition the stages. Agreeing to Sethna and Blythe (2016) a
person's way of life is interlaced with his state of mind discernment and social
connections, in this way the quick surroundings that the individual is in can impact him
or her in modifying into specific practices and exercises Individual factors that might
influence silver surfers in recent time include occupation. The occupation of an
individual plays a significant role in influencing his or her buying decision.
Figure 3: Behavior and learning model
Most of the silver surfers have various occupations that demand them to use
social media platforms to promote their career and professional life. A large
demographic of the young people are in occupations such as blogging, social media
marketing, video blogging and photography which are highly reliable on social media. In
addition, the young people also influence the elderly on the use of social media
platforms, who are seen to adapt gradually and adjust to using it for its benefits of
convenience in information and socializing. The regular utilization of these gadgets goes
about as a type of restrictive realizing where people are molded to the boosts of utilizing
these gadgets and internet-based life stages. Restrictive learning as characterized by
Ian Pavlov alludes to the established molding that happens consequently including a

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person's acclimation to specific boosts which obtain the ability to incite a reaction that
was initially evoked (Putit et al, 2015).
The other individual factor that is fundamentally influencing the silver suffers to
use social media platforms is the lifestyle. Not only in social media but also in other
consumer behaviors that involve goods and services has had lifestyle prevailed.
Figure 4: Social media affecting ‘silver surfers’
Most of the individuals want to maintain a different kind of lifestyle which forces
them to demand goods and services different from other people. Similarly, social media
can be considered as a form of lifestyle most prevalent among the youths, this lifestyle
in addition forces influence of using social media platforms among the youths hence
escalating the use of the devices as well as the platforms. According to Sethna & Blythe
(2016) an individual’s lifestyle is intertwined with his attitude perception and social
interactions, therefore the immediate surroundings that the individual is in can influence
him or her in adjusting into certain behaviors and activities.

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References
Erlenkamp, M. (2004). The role of perception in consumer behaviour. U.st.: Grin Verlag.
Lantos, G. (2015). Consumer Behavior in Action. Florence: Taylor and Francis.
Putit, L., Teoh, K., & Amily Fikry. (2015). Consumer behaviour. Shah Alam, Selangor:
Oxford University Press.
Sethna, Z., & Blythe, J. (2016). Consumer behaviour. Los Angeles [etc.]: Sage.