Digital Nudging and Healthy Food Choices: How Social Media Platform Design Shapes Generation Z’s Purchasing Behaviour in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Digital platforms increasingly shape consumption through algorithmic exposure, influencer ecosystems, and social comparison processes. This study explains healthy food purchasing among Generation Z (Gen Z) consumers in Saudi Arabia by extending the Theory of Planned Behavior with platform-relevant mechanisms: influencer trust, susceptibility to influencers, emotional influence, and social comparison. Survey data from 401 Saudi Gen Z consumers were analyzed using composite Likert indices and multiple regression. Purchase intention was predicted primarily by self-efficacy, emotional influence, social comparison, attitude, and subjective norms (R² = .527). Actual purchase behavior was predicted most strongly by intention and further reinforced by susceptibility to influencers, social comparison, influencer trust, and subjective norms (R² = .650). Despite high health awareness and positive attitudes, behavior was comparatively lower, indicating a marked intention–behavior gap. Findings advance digital strategy and consumer behavior theory by identifying a platform-based reinforcement layer that shapes conversion in platform economies.