The influence of social networks on purchasing habits of generation Z

Društvene mreže danas imaju snažan utjecaj na potrošače, a posebice mlade. Najmlađa generacija odraslih, generacija Z, kroz svoje ponašanje pokazuje značajan utjecaj društvenih mreža na svakodnevni život. Obzirom da je ovoj generaciji teško zamisliti život bez društvenih platformi, poduzećima je krucijalno znati kakve su kupovne navike mladih i koliko na iste utječu upravo razne društvene aplikacije. Svrha je ovoga rada prikazati i objasniti pojam društvenih mreža i generacije Z te povezati njihova obilježja kako bi se došlo do saznanja kakav je utjecaj mreža na kupovne navike te generacije. Cilj je rada istražiti na koji način, u kojoj mjeri i na koje aspekte kupovnih navika i ponašanja generacije Z utječu društvene mreže. Nužno je ispitati što potiče mlade potrošače na kupnju određenih proizvoda i koje vrijednosti pritom njeguju. Metodologija korištena pri izradi odnosi se na sekundarne izvore u vidu stručne literature, časopisa, provedenih istraživanja te internetskih izvora. Osim toga, provedeno je primarno istraživanje o utjecaju društvenih mreža na kupovne navike generacije Z putem anketnog upitnika. Zaključci koji su izneseni pokazuju sve veći utjecaj društvenih mreža čiji broj korisnika neprestano raste, a istraživanjem je potvrđen i značajan utjecaj na kupovne navike mladih u Hrvatskoj.Today, social networks have a strong influence on consumers, especially young people. The youngest generation of adults, generation Z, shows the extent of social networks in their daily use. Given that it is difficult for this generation to imagine life without social platforms, it is crucial for companies to know what the buying habits of young people are and how much they are influenced by various social applications. The purpose of this paper is to present and explain the concept of social networks and generation Z and to connect their characteristics in order to find out what influence networks have on the buying habits of that generation. The aim of the paper is to investigate in what way, to what extent and on which aspects of the purchasing habits and behavior of generation Z are influenced by social networks. It is necessary to examine what motivates young consumers to buy certain products and what values they nurture. The used methodology refers to secondary sources in the form of professional literature, magazines, conducted research and Internet sources. In addition, primary research was conducted on the impact of social networks on the purchasing habits of Generation Z through a survey questionnaire. The conclusions presented show the increasing influence of social networks whose number of users is constantly growing, and the research confirmed a significant influence on the buying habits of young people in Croatia