THE EFFECT OF EASE OF USE OF QRIS AND SOCIAL MEDIA ON IMPULSE BUYING BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN SEMARANG

Abstract

The digital revolution has fundamentally transformed consumer behavior paradigms, where the convenience of digital payments and the intensity of social media usage have become critical factors influencing impulse buying behavior among Generation Z. This study aims to analyze the effects of QRIS ease of use and social media usage intensity on impulse buying behavior among Generation Z students in Semarang City, with self-control as a mediating variable. This study employs a quantitative approach with explanatory research design involving 239 students from three public universities in Semarang City. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS software. The results indicate that QRIS ease of use does not have a significant direct effect on impulse buying, whereas social media usage intensity has a significant positive effect and self-control has a significant negative effect on impulse buying. Mediation testing using the Sobel Test demonstrates that self-control plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between QRIS ease of use and social media usage intensity on impulse buying. This research provides theoretical contributions by enriching the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theory in the digital economy context and offers practical implications for digital marketing practitioners, educational institutions, and policymakers in developing digital financial literacy strategies to foster rational consumption patterns among students.