The dark side of customer engagement on social media: effects on self-esteem, materialism, technology addiction and impulsive buying

Purpose Online customer brand engagement is often considered a positive outcome of customer-brand relationships. However, customer engagement (CE) can have a dark side. This study aims to investigate whether customer brand engagement affects self-esteem (SES), materialism (MAT), technology addiction and impulsive buying behavior, considering the role of gender. Design/methodology/approach We tested the hypotheses in our framework using covariance-based structural equation modeling and a sample of 1,076 UK luxury brand customers recruited from Prolific. Findings The findings show that CE with luxury brands via social media (SM) lowers SES while increasing MAT and technology addiction. Important gender differences are identified: SES and MAT significantly influence impulsive buying among men but not women. Research limitations/implications The study's cross-sectional UK survey limits generalizability. Future research should adopt longitudinal or experimental designs, use mixed data sources, include diverse cultural samples and examine additional negative outcomes of customer brand engagement. Practical implications Managers should be aware of the potential negative consequences of CE. Strategies aimed at mitigating SES issues and MAT can enhance customer well-being. Originality/value This is the first study that investigates the dark sides of customer brand engagement on SM, shedding light on the role of gender.