Digital mediation of matrimonial norms: assessing social media use, peer influence, and partner preferences among youth

This study examined how social media use influences matrimonial norms and partner preferences among youth in Chhattisgarh. The purpose was to understand whether digital participation weakens traditional matrimonial values or produces a more selective transformation in which modern exposure and cultural continuity coexist. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 500 youth respondents and analysed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The study assessed the effect of social media use (SMU) on four dimensions: matrimonial site usage (MSU), peer group influence (PGI), traditional value orientation (TVO), and personal characteristics (PC). The findings confirmed that SMU significantly influences all four dimensions. The strongest effect was observed on TVO, followed by PC, PGI, and MSU. These results indicate that social media is not merely an individualizing force in matrimonial decision-making. Rather, it operates as a hybrid social space where young people observe peer behaviour, evaluate partner attributes, engage with matrimonial platforms, and simultaneously reinforce family and culturally rooted values. The originality of the study lies in its non-metropolitan Indian context, its integration of social cognitive theory (SCT) and social identity theory (SIT), and its explanation of social media as a “conservative modernizer” in matrimonial transformation.