Navigating cultural continuity in the digital era through the interplay of awareness, social dynamics, and familial influence shaping Gen Z’s engagement with Malaysian kueh mueh heritage

This scholarly inquiry examines the influence of awareness, social, and familial influences alongside the moderating role of social media on the practice of traditional Malaysian kueh mueh among Generation Z. Employing a quantitative, cross-sectional research design, the study utilized a self-administered survey questionnaire as its primary instrument. The target sample and unit of analysis comprised youth from universities, colleges, and urban community settings, where digital connectivity and social media usage are notably prominent. To evaluate the hypothesized relationships, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed as the analytical technique. The empirical findings reveal that awareness, family influence, and social influence do not exert a statistically significant effect on the actual practice of kueh mueh among Gen Z. social media was found to have no moderating impact on these relationships indicating that the presence or intensity of social media engagement neither enhances nor diminishes the effect of cultural awareness or social influences on traditional food-related behaviors. These outcomes underscore a pronounced disjunction between cultural knowledge and behavioral execution within this demographic. The findings yield vital implications for cultural practitioners, policymakers, educators, and heritage stakeholders. They call attention to the pressing need for innovative, immersive, and multidimensional strategies to revitalize interest in traditional foodways among younger generations. As digital engagement alone proves insufficient to foster cultural practice, a more integrative approach merging cultural relevance with contemporary youth values is essential to ensure the continuity and vitality of Malaysia’s rich culinary heritage.