社交媒体对中国年轻人消费习惯的影响

First emerging as a platform for individuals to share their daily life and connect, social media now has evolved into an economic growth driver which impacts consumption habits in China, especially among the country's younger generations.

社交媒体最初是作为个人分享日常生活和沟通联系的平台出现的，现在已经发展成为经济增长的推动力，它影响着中国的消费习惯，尤其是中国年轻一代的消费习惯。

Xiaohongshu, also known as RED, a major social media app in China, has multiple "influencers", "vloggers" and "internet celebrities" who promote products and make recommendations on clothes and make-up through pictures and videos.

小红书，又名RED，是中国一个主要的社交媒体APP，拥有很多“影响力人物”、“视频博主”和“网红”，他们通过图片和视频推广产品，并给出搭配和美妆建议。

"I usually scroll through lots of posts on Xiaohongshu, make notes, and select what interests me before I go shopping," said one of the app's users, surnamed Liu.

该应用的一位姓刘的用户说：“购物前我通常会在小红书上浏览很多相关的帖子，并做笔记。”

"When consumers make purchasing decisions, they are often influenced to a large extent by the reference group. One of the main reasons is the individual's sense of identity, that is, what kind of person they think they are and what kind of life they feel they should live," said Ding Ying, associate professor of Renmin Business School at Renmin University of China.

“当消费者做出购买决策时，他们往往在很大程度上受到参考群体的影响。其中一个主要原因是个人的认同感，也就是说，他们认为自己是什么样的人，他们觉得自己应该过什么样的生活，”中国人民大学人民商学院副教授丁颖表示。

"Once consumers find an identity they are happy with, they are likely to accept what social media recommends and buy into it," Ding added.

“一旦消费者找到他们满意的身份，他们很可能会接受社交媒体的推荐并购买它，”丁补充道。

Another expert pointed out that for lots of young Chinese consumers, it is about choosing their own lifestyles via social media.

另一位专家指出，对于许多年轻的中国消费者来说，这是通过社交媒体选择自己的生活方式。

"I'd like to be a person with a broadened horizon, and that's why I want to know what other people are reading and interested in. In other words, I'm building a better version of myself by following others," said one social media user, surnamed Huang.

“我想成为一个视野开阔的人，这就是为什么我想知道别人在读什么，对什么感兴趣。换句话说，通过追随他人，我正在打造一个更好的自己。"一位姓黄的社交媒体用户说。

Apart from figuring out who they really are, young Chinese consumers also tend to reach out to communities they identify with on social media platforms, to help gain a sense of belonging.

除了弄清楚自己是怎样的人，年轻的中国消费者还倾向于接触他们在社交媒体平台上认同的社区，以帮助获得归属感。

On the other hand, the craze for consumption is not a rational trend to follow. Young consumers should set their own limitations to avoid overspending, suggested Ding.

另一方面，消费热潮并不是一个理性的趋势。建议，年轻人应该有计划的限制自己的消费，以避免超支。