THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF FOMO IN THE EFFECT OF AUDIENCE SURVEILLANCE ON ONLINE PURCHASING BEHAVIOR BY MEDIATOR EFFECT OF GENDER

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effect of the new concept of FoMO (fear of missing out) and individual awareness of contemporary surveillance practices on the consumer's online purchasing behavior. In this context, the monitoring of the target audience and their guidance in terms of sales practices play an important role for the institutions. With the development of technology in the process, it has become much easier to monitor the target audience. Therefore, the relationship between the facilitation and awareness of surveillance and purchasing behavior is examined in this study. It is claimed that digital technologies are subjected to surveillance in order to identify the target audience, determine their needs and intervene instantaneously in changing conditions. From this point of view, it is examined how the surveillance awareness of the target audience is directed to purchasing behavior by using FoMO as an intermediary factor. In this context, as the target audience spends more time in digital environments, surveillance becomes fluid and time and space boundaries disappear. However, every trace left in digital media turns into data. Data, which is one of the most important parts of contemporary surveillance practices, enables the target audience to be controlled and directed in a much better, efficient and instant way. The direct effects of snooping awareness and fear of missing out on the differentiation in purchasing behaviour and the indirect effect of awareness via fear of missing out were questioned. Mediation analysis based on regression model based on least squares method is applied. In addition, the moderator effect of gender is examined. As a result, the direct effect of the fear of missing out on purchasing behaviour is significant. This effect is positive. Moreover, the effect size differs by gender significantly. The mediating effect of FoMO in the effect of surveillance awareness on purchasing behaviour is significant. The mediation effect size is lower in men.