The impact of digital technology on sports consumption: evidence from Chinese college students
BackgroundIn an increasingly digitalized world, the impact of digital technology on sports consumption behavior is a pivotal area of study, particularly among college students who are highly engaged with digital platforms.MethodsThis study investigates how digital technology use shapes college stude...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1501327/full |
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| author | Yuan-Ji Zhong Jiang-Wei Yang Wen-Hao Guo Yong-Shun Wang |
| author_facet | Yuan-Ji Zhong Jiang-Wei Yang Wen-Hao Guo Yong-Shun Wang |
| author_sort | Yuan-Ji Zhong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundIn an increasingly digitalized world, the impact of digital technology on sports consumption behavior is a pivotal area of study, particularly among college students who are highly engaged with digital platforms.MethodsThis study investigates how digital technology use shapes college students’ sports consumption behavior, incorporating emotional experience as a mediator and symbolic perception as a moderator. Guided by the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework and Symbolic Consumption Theory (SCT), data from 861 Chinese college students (511 males and 350 females) were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).ResultsResults reveal that digital technology use significantly enhances sports consumption, not only through a direct effect but also indirectly by improving emotional experience. Furthermore, symbolic perception amplifies the effect of emotional experience on consumption behavior. These findings highlight the dual psychological pathways through which technology influences sports-related decisions.ConclusionThe study offers theoretical contributions by integrating emotional and symbolic mechanisms, and provides practical insights for sports marketers and educators aiming to engage college students in digital-era consumption. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0532e4e9dd824d1aac798f03fb0f26f3 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-0532e4e9dd824d1aac798f03fb0f26f32025-08-20T02:32:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-05-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15013271501327The impact of digital technology on sports consumption: evidence from Chinese college studentsYuan-Ji Zhong0Jiang-Wei Yang1Wen-Hao Guo2Yong-Shun Wang3School of Physical Education and Arts, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, ChinaDepartment of Physical Education, Xiamen Institute of Technology, Xiamen, ChinaSchool of Physical Education and Arts, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, ChinaCollege of Physical Education, Huaqiao University, Quanzhou, ChinaBackgroundIn an increasingly digitalized world, the impact of digital technology on sports consumption behavior is a pivotal area of study, particularly among college students who are highly engaged with digital platforms.MethodsThis study investigates how digital technology use shapes college students’ sports consumption behavior, incorporating emotional experience as a mediator and symbolic perception as a moderator. Guided by the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework and Symbolic Consumption Theory (SCT), data from 861 Chinese college students (511 males and 350 females) were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).ResultsResults reveal that digital technology use significantly enhances sports consumption, not only through a direct effect but also indirectly by improving emotional experience. Furthermore, symbolic perception amplifies the effect of emotional experience on consumption behavior. These findings highlight the dual psychological pathways through which technology influences sports-related decisions.ConclusionThe study offers theoretical contributions by integrating emotional and symbolic mechanisms, and provides practical insights for sports marketers and educators aiming to engage college students in digital-era consumption.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1501327/fulldigital technology usesports consumption behavioremotional experiencesymbolic perceptioncollege students |
| spellingShingle | Yuan-Ji Zhong Jiang-Wei Yang Wen-Hao Guo Yong-Shun Wang The impact of digital technology on sports consumption: evidence from Chinese college students Frontiers in Psychology digital technology use sports consumption behavior emotional experience symbolic perception college students |
| title | The impact of digital technology on sports consumption: evidence from Chinese college students |
| title_full | The impact of digital technology on sports consumption: evidence from Chinese college students |
| title_fullStr | The impact of digital technology on sports consumption: evidence from Chinese college students |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of digital technology on sports consumption: evidence from Chinese college students |
| title_short | The impact of digital technology on sports consumption: evidence from Chinese college students |
| title_sort | impact of digital technology on sports consumption evidence from chinese college students |
| topic | digital technology use sports consumption behavior emotional experience symbolic perception college students |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1501327/full |
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