A STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ALGORITHMS ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Abstract

The rapid growth of social media platforms has significantly transformed consumer behaviour by changing the way individuals search for information, interact with brands, and make purchasing decisions. Social media algorithms powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning analyse users’ preferences, browsing patterns, and engagement activities to deliver personalized content, targeted advertisements, and product recommendations. The present study titled “A Study on the Impact of Social Media Algorithms on Consumer Behaviour” aims to examine the influence of social media algorithms on consumers’ purchasing decisions, brand engagement, trust, and buying behaviour in Thoothukudi District. The study adopted a descriptive research design and collected primary data from 130 respondents through a structured questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale. The respondents were selected using a convenience sampling method. Statistical tools such as Percentage Analysis, One-Way ANOVA, Independent Sample t-test, and Kruskal-Wallis Test were applied to analyse the relationship between demographic variables and consumer perceptions towards social media algorithms. The findings reveal that age significantly influences certain aspects of algorithm-driven purchasing behaviour, particularly purchase decisions influenced by frequently appearing social media content. However, gender and occupation do not significantly affect consumers’ perceptions towards social media algorithms, product recommendations, and purchase decisions. The study concludes that social media algorithms play a crucial role in shaping modern consumer behaviour by enhancing personalized marketing, improving product discovery, and influencing purchase intentions. The findings provide valuable insights for marketers and businesses to develop effective, ethical, and consumer-oriented social media marketing strategies.