Consuming for content? Understanding social media-centric consumption

Do consumers engage in a consumption activity with the primary motivation of publicizing it on social media? We define such behavior as social media-centric consumption (SMCC) and systematically investigate to what extent, why, and how consumers may engage in SMCC by conducting an exhaustive literature review and analyzing data from surveys and interviews. We find that (i) a large majority (84%) of the respondents self-reported SMCC with varying levels of frequencies based on the type of social media platform(s) and personal characteristics, (ii) SMCC is primarily motivated by the need to seek attention, signal identity, or increase social value, and (iii) satisfaction from SMCC is mediated by the response it receives from other users and may hurt the long-term well-being of individuals. We conclude with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of this study and propose an agenda for future research.