Influence of Social Media Shopping on Purchasing Decisions of College Students

Social media has rapidly transformed into a vibrant marketplace, shaping how people, especially college students, make purchasing decisions. This study examines the influence of social media shopping on students from the College of Business Administration at Negros Oriental State University's Main Campus I. It focuses on key influences such as convenience, trust and security, product visibility and reviews, social influence, and pricing strategies. Using a quantitative approach, the research gathered insights from 100 students through a validated questionnaire administered via Google Forms. Findings highlight that convenience and product visibility play a significant role in shaping students’ buying choices. While sex and preferred shopping platforms showed only modest correlations, they were statistically significant. Notably, the study found a strong link between decision-making factors and the overall shopping experience (rs = 0.73, p = 0.001), and an even stronger connection between social media’s influence and students’ intention to purchase (rs = 0.81, p = 0.001). Based on these results, the study recommends integrating digital consumer education into business programs to better prepare students for the evolving marketplace. It also encourages e-commerce platforms to build greater trust and offer personalized experiences tailored to student consumers.