ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ALGORITHM FATIGUE IN SHAPING CONSUMER CHOICE BEHAVIOR

Abstract

Social media platforms and algorithm-based recommendations have revolutionized consumer behavior and decision-making online. All social media platforms are constantly bombarding their users with personalised advertising, recommended information, influencer promotions and re-hashing of information to boost engagement and retain users. While algorithmic personalisation is useful for making information more relevant and convenient for users, it can also result in information overload, mental fatigue, and social media fatigue, especially when users are exposed to too much information at the same time. These psychological impacts can then impact the way consumers assess options and make online buying choices. The current study seeks to explore the effect of algorithm-induced social media fatigue on consumer decision making. Particularly, it explores the algorithm-exposure, information overload, social media fatigue, and decision difficulty among social media users. The study was carried out using primary data obtained from a structured questionnaire which was given to the active social media users. A total of 75 valid responses were obtained and analyzed by means of the statistical techniques of the Excel software. The study used descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation analysis and regression analysis to investigate the relationship between the variables. The results showed that there was a strong positive correlation between information overload and social media fatigue, suggesting that the exposure to digital content to the extent of information overload has a significant impact on the mental fatigue of the users. Another interesting discovery that emerged from the study was that Social Media Fatigue has a positive effect on consumer decision difficulty. Information Overload was found to be a strong predictor of Social Media Fatigue and it was also found to be a significant predictor for the difficulties associated with consumers’ decision-making processes via regression analysis. This study indicates that algorithm-based social media platforms may pose negative implications for consumer welfare and decision-making if consumers are overwhelmed by their usage. The implications of these findings indicate that a balanced approach must be adopted towards digital marketing efforts and a better content management strategy needs to be put forth to overcome cognitive overload and social media fatigue. In addition, the study provides useful knowledge for marketing professionals and scholars interested in learning about the implications of consumers' exposure to algorithm-based content.