Social Media Literacy and Misinformation: The Significance of Consuming Reliable Information in Relation to Shopper Buying Behavior

Abstract

Social media marketing is vital, and it is among the best devices and strategies in each promotion. Social media has provided opportunities to engage in social interaction on the internet. With the rise of social media, shoppers can easily share, know, and access information everywhere. However, there is a lack of studies here in the Philippines on how social media literacy and misinformation affect the shoppers' online buying behavior, specifically on a Facebook platform. This paper aims to identify how Filipino online shoppers differ between the online shops they will trust and the shops they will not count. It also determines how shoppers' reviews help potential shoppers to trust a particular online shop. The study used a quantitative method to investigate the relationship between variables that can be measured using statistical methods to test theories. In particular, the descriptive-correlational design has been utilized to test the relationship of variables. The researchers have identified the factors that influence or affect the shoppers’ buying behavior. The results revealed that social media literacy, credibility, misinformation, and product knowledge significantly impact shoppers’ buying behavior. Among all the variables, credibility was found to be positively associated with the shoppers’ buying behavior. The regression result indicates that respondents are less likely to engage in online shopping the more critical or discerning they are towards the information they are finding online. Whereas aspects like social media literacy and product knowledge may encourage respondents to make purchases online, discernment towards the credibility of information is a negative force - urging respondents to reconsider their decision to purchase something rather than encouraging them towards it.