Abstract:
In today’s digital world, social media plays a prominent role becoming an integral
part of daily life. Users across multiple generations, including Gen Z, millennials,
Gen X, and baby boomers have become active consumers of social media,
highlighting the importance of understanding user behaviour. This study aims to
determine whether there is a definite relationship between one’s engagement on
social media platforms and their content sharing behaviour. The study investigates
three key dimensions of social media engagement: consumption, contribution, and
creation as independent variables, while content sharing behaviour is treated as the
dependent variable. Previous studies have largely examined these variables in
isolation, incorporating descriptive models and scales to determine the influencing
factors. This study adopted a hypothetico-deductive approach, supported by a
quantitative, cross-sectional research design. Data were gathered from 800
individuals using a purposive, structured questionnaire targeting Sri Lankan
individuals aged between 18 and 29 years. To examine the relationship between
social media engagement and content sharing behaviour, correlation and linear
regression analyses were utilized. The results indicated a significant positive
relationship, suggesting that higher levels of social media engagement are
associated with increased content sharing behaviour. The study provides significant
benefits to anyone who expects to gain a thorough understanding of a typical Sri
Lankan individual’s social media behaviour and to any digital marketing
professional who intends to utilize the study's conclusions to effectively target
consumers based on their social media behaviour, both in terms of engagement and
content sharing. Furthermore, future researchers could explore the behavioural
aspects of content sharing, specific content types, or generational differences to gain
deeper insights into how social media engagement influences sharing behaviour.
