The impact of social media on adolescents' attitudes towards shopping in the Republic of serbia

Adolescents represent a distinct demographic that currently spends a considerable portion of their time on social media platforms. Given that adolescence is a critical period for the development of identity and personality-and simultaneously a particularly sensitive stage-exposure to social media content can exert both positive and negative influences on adolescents' worldviews, reasoning processes, and the value systems they adopt. This empirical and quantitative research was conducted between October and December 2024 using a survey method on a sample of 500 adolescents from primary and secondary schools in Serbia. The study is intended for parents, educators, social media content creators, as well as individuals and organizations engaged in online commerce. The central focus of this research is to examine the impact of social media on adolescents' attitudes toward shopping in Serbia. The primary objective is to explore the relationship between adolescents' purchasing behavior and the social media content they consume. The significance of this study lies in its potential to provide a clearer understanding of how social media influences adolescents by positioning them as potential consumers and shaping their future consumer behavior. The results are presented through quantitative analysis, and the findings indicate that social media has a notable impact on adolescents' thoughts, attitudes, and especially their purchasing decisions related to trending products and services.