In the digital consumption era, Generation Z—as “digital natives”—are redefining their consumption logic in response to new technological trends, forming a cognitive framework distinct from that of previous generations. Digital technologies have dissolved geographical barriers, enabling young people with shared interests and values to form trans-regional consumption communities.

The social-stratification model outlined by French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, in which taste reflects class boundaries, is gradually weakening in youth’s consumption behaviors. In its place, identity-driven, circle-based consumption has emerged. Choices are no longer constrained by traditional social hierarchies. Platform algorithms, through “interest-based recommendations,” further reinforce this circle-oriented consumption, giving rise to a strongly decentralized model. At the same time, young consumers are no longer content with passive reception; they actively participate in shaping the meaning and value of products, embodying a logic of “co-creative consumption.”

Amid this social participation, their consumption logic has also shifted from “possessing” to “experiencing.” Young consumers are more willing to pay for experiences rather than long-term product ownership. For example, brief “check-in” experiences can instantly ignite consumer enthusiasm, aligning perfectly with their pursuit of fluidity and freedom. Yet once these moments of passionate engagement subside, their consumption behavior often returns to rationality.

What has driven these changes? From the perspective of the sociology of consumption, this shift is the result of intertwined social, technological, and cultural forces.

Social forces shape consumption capacity and motivation through structural variables such as resource distribution and social relations: Pressures from social stratification give consumption the function of an “identity marker,” occupational differentiation creates distinct consumer circles, and family structures influence both spending power and autonomy.

Technological revolution, centered around the internet, mobile payment systems, and social media, has redefined the boundaries of time and space in consumption. Invisible mechanisms like “algorithmic recommendations” make young consumers’ preferences increasingly susceptible to real-time information stimuli.

Cultural influences, expressed through symbolic systems like values, aesthetic preferences, and identity, assign specific meanings and value to consumption behaviors. Subcultures cultivate distinct styles of niche consumption; the interplay between globalization and local culture has fueled the rise of guochao (China-chic) as a form of personalized expression; and consumerist narratives continue to manufacture desire and anxiety.

The complex interplay of these factors has led to a consumption logic marked by paradox: the pursuit of individuality alongside a fear of isolation; resistance to mainstream culture yet reliance on symbolic meaning; emphasis on experience but ongoing entanglement with material anxiety.

Lin Xiaoshan is a professor and director of the Department of Sociology and Culturology at the Party School of Zhejiang Provincial Committee of C.P.C. (Zhejiang Institute of Administration).