THE SOCIAL MEDIA PARADOX: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSISOFGENDER-BASED BEHAVIOURAL OUTCOMES IN RESPONSETOONLINE REVIEWS AND RATINGS

Aim: In order to shed light on gender-based behavioral outcomes, this study compares theimpact of social media reviews and ratings on purchase intentions between male andfemaleconsumers in Kolathur and Chennai. This study focuses on how reviews and ratings influencepurchasing decisions differently for men and women in the diverse cultural contexts of Chennai and Kolathur, even though earlier research has examined the influence of social mediaonconsumer behavior. Materials and methods: A self-created survey that was disseminatedviaGoogle Forms was used to gather data on consumer attitudes and actions about social mediareviews and ratings. Items evaluating the significance of reviews and ratings, howfrequentlyreviews are checked, and how reviews affect purchasing decisions were all includedinthequestionnaire. In order to investigate gender-based differences in purchase intentions, responseswere analyzed using IBM SPSS, Version 26 and statistical techniques such the Chi-Squaretest, Independent Samples t-test, and One-Way ANOVA. Results and discussion: Male andfemalemean scores on factors including the perceived value of reviews and ratings and the propensitytobuy a product based on favorable evaluations were compared using Chi square test.