A1 Journal article (refereed)
The brighter side of materialism : Managing impressions on social media for higher social capital (2022)


Tuominen, J., Rantala, E., Reinikainen, H., Luoma-aho, V., & Wilska, T.-A. (2022). The brighter side of materialism : Managing impressions on social media for higher social capital. Poetics, 92, Article 101651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poetic.2022.101651

The research was funded by Strategic Research Council at the Research Council of Finland.


JYU authors or editors


Publication details

All authors or editorsTuominen, Jesse; Rantala, Eero; Reinikainen, Hanna; Luoma-aho, Vilma; Wilska, Terhi-Anna

Journal or seriesPoetics

ISSN0304-422X

eISSN1872-7514

Publication year2022

Volume92

Article number101651

PublisherElsevier BV

Publication countryNetherlands

Publication languageEnglish

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.poetic.2022.101651

Publication open accessOpenly available

Publication channel open accessPartially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX)https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/80164


Abstract

Individuals adjust their behavior on social media to varying extent, and commonly in their idealized way. Most studies have focused on the problems associated with materialism and social media use, yet their potential positive contributions remain less clear. In fact, impression management holds potential for both negative and positive: it has been linked with materialistic attitudes, but also increased amounts of self-reported social capital. This study examines how young people's materialistic values connect with status-seeking impression management on social media, and subsequently to social capital, within the same model. Eight hundred Finnish participants aged 15–19 participated in our structured phone survey. We applied structural equation modeling to examine the connections between materialism, impression management, and online social capital. Our findings show that materialism is positively related to impression management, while impression management is positively associated with online social capital. Additionally, we found positive indirect effects between materialism and both bridging and bonding social capital through impression management. In sum, more materialistic young people who engaged in higher impression management had higher amounts of social capital.


Keywordsyoung peopleyoung adultsconsumer behaviourconsumershipconsumer culturesocial statussocial capitalsocial media

Free keywordsimpression management; social capital; social media; materialism; young people; status-seeking


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Ministry reportingYes

Reporting Year2022

JUFO rating3


Last updated on 2024-26-03 at 09:20