Emotional consumption and virtual social interaction: Understanding Gen Z’s engagement in digital entertainment spaces

Digital entertainment services have altered social bonding, especially among Gen Z, who find emotional connections in virtual spaces. Reflecting from virtual social interaction to emotional consumption in digital entertainment scenarios, this study examines how Gen Z users build and negotiate their online lives on VR platforms. Based on the symbolic consumption theory and Habermas’ communicative action theory, this study examines the roles of digital entertainment platforms in expressing identities, providing emotional gratification, and establishing social connections. Employing a qualitative research methodology, this paper draws on in-depth interviews and digital ethnography to explore the motivations, behaviors, and perceptions of Gen Z users within virtual social environment (e.g., gaming, live streaming, and virtual communities). The results of this study are explored in five themes; (1) Emotional Consumption as a form of Self Representation, (2) Virtual Goods as a symbol of Identity, (3) Social Connection Through Shared Emotional Experiences, (4) Peer Validation and Emotional Gratification, (5) The Role of Affective Labor in Digital Entertainment Engagement. This study adds to cultural industry management by providing insights into Generation Z emotional consumption behaviors inherent in their use of digital entertainment platforms. This study illustrates the emergence of virtual social spaces as new sites of emotional exchange and cultural production, pointing out that platform designers and marketers need to take into account how deeply psychosocial needs take shape for this demographic. In this connection, this paper highlights the importance of emotional involvement as a key factor of user engagement behavior in the digital entertainment ecosystem.