Influenced Minds: The Psychology Behind Social Media and Consumer Choices in Mumbai

Grade XII, Jamnabai Narsee School, Mumbai, India, 400049

Abstract

Social media refers to digital platforms that allow users to create, share, and engage with content across a wide audience. Social Networking Sites (SNSs), such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, have become powerful tools not only for communication but also for marketing and influencing consumer behaviour. These platforms enable hyper-targeted advertising, influencer collaborations, interactive engagement formats, and peer-driven product recommendations. The emotional connections users form with brands on social media, combined with psychological triggers such as FOMO (fear of missing out), trust, and reputation, have significantly altered online purchasing behaviour. The study is an examination of how social media impacts buying decisions among consumers in Mumbai city, famous for its diversity, internet acumen, and high concentration of e-commerce shoppers. Being a high-penetration internet urban hub with a mix of traditional and contemporary consumer culture, Mumbai presents a special context to study how online interaction influences consumer behaviour. This research explores how factors such as influencer marketing, user-generated content, emotional engagement, and social endorsement influence brand loyalty and purchasing behaviour in this urban environment.