Explaining the Value-Behavior Gap in Fast Fashion: The Role of Social Norms and Social Media among Generation Z
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21512/bbr.v17i3.15474Keywords:
fast fashion consumption, ethical consumption literacy, social norms, social media use, Generation ZAbstract
Amid growing concerns about sustainable consumption, fast fashion continues to thrive among Generation Z, reflecting a persistent value–behavior gap between ethical concerns and actual purchasing behavior. Prior studies often treat ethical constructs as a single dimension and rarely integrate moral cognition, psychological tension, and socio-digital forces within a unified framework. As a result, the mechanisms explaining why ethical concerns fail to translate into behavioral restraint remain insufficiently understood. To address this gap, the researchers develop and test an integrative model that distinguishes ethical awareness from ethical consumption literacy and incorporates cognitive dissonance, social norms, and active social media use. The researchers collect data from 337 Generation Z respondents in Jabodetabek and analyze them using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings show that ethical awareness does not constrain behavior but positively influences fast fashion consumption, indicating an ethical paradox. Ethical consumption literacy significantly reduces consumption, demonstrating its role as an operational capability that translates ethical considerations into action. Although ethical consumption literacy increases cognitive dissonance, dissonance does not significantly influence behavior nor mediate the relationships. Furthermore, active social media use weakens the protective effect of ethical consumption literacy, highlighting the role of digitally mediated social influence. This study contributes by distinguishing ethical awareness from ethical consumption literacy, challenging the mediating role of cognitive dissonance as a behavioral mechanism in highly normalized consumption contexts, and identifying digital engagement as a boundary condition of ethical behavior. These findings suggest that sustainability interventions should move beyond awareness toward literacy-building and norm-oriented strategies.
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