This qualitative study aims to examine the challenges of fast fashion consumption, encompassing a comprehensive examination of various factors and multifaceted dilemmas related to consumer choices. Clothing consumption serves more than just material needs, with today's society witnessing a strong connection between consumption and social norms, trends, and ideals, especially through social media. The choice of fashion consumption proves to be a complex issue in sustainability discussions. This complexity is heightened as social media influencers actively endorse and glamorize fast fashion products despite their well-known environmental consequences. The study navigates and sheds light on the interaction between influencers, who serve as marketers for these fast fashion products on social media, and their followers as recipients of the advertising and potential consumers. The interaction between both influencers and followers is explored through qualitative semi-structured interviews. The complex issue of fast fashion consumption is analyzed through a theoretical framework integrating Two-step flow theory, Cultivation theory, Social learning theory and the theory of Cognitive dissonance, as well as the respondents' attitudes, opinions, and positions. The purpose of the study is to illuminate the influential role of influencer marketing on followers' consumption and perception of fast fashion, particularly regarding the environmental aspects and sustainability. The research questions are: "How do influencers shape followers' perspectives and purchasing behavior regarding fast fashion?", "How do followers reflect on their own fast fashion consumption affected by influencers on social media?", and "What other factors, besides influencers, can influence followers' consumption decisions regarding fast fashion?". In this qualitative study, the analysis of interviews with influencers and their followers reveals complex narratives and patterns in the context of fast fashion. Six key themes emerge, including; environmental awareness, ambivalence, the impact and power of influencers', responsibility, social norms and consumption culture. The analysis highlights followers' increased environmental awareness and their simultaneous struggle with impulsive consumption. Influencers play a central role in shaping followers' views and behaviors and acting as trendsetters. However, followers express concerns about collective and environmental responsibility, portraying influencers as having a dominant position when regarding fashion consumption through social media.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-526625 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Ryding, Agnes, Edenroth, Alice |
| Publisher | Uppsala universitet, Medier och kommunikation |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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