E21 - Macroeconomics: Consumption; Saving; WealthReturn

This study examines the links between conspicuous consumption and user activity on social media platforms, focusing on Generations Z, Y, and X. A set of statements focusing on conspicuous consumption, consumer behaviour on social media, and their food consumption habits was developed and tested on a sample of 679 respondents from the Czech Republic comprising these generations. Factor analysis was used to group tested statements into factors, and regression analysis was used to examine their association with salient consumption patterns. While the link between social media activity and conspicuous consumption was only confirmed for Generation X, the online behaviour of Generation Z, the confirmed influence of influencers on the purchasing behaviour of this generation, suggests a potential link that requires further  investigation.

The study analyses the economics intuition that the domestic savings may determine the investments in a country. The assumption is tested on domestic savings between 1982 and 2016 in Southeast Asia economies in a panel regression framework. The hypothesis is that domestic savings stimulate economic growth through investment financing and, thus, the high savings rate observed in Southeast Asian countries can contribute to the outstanding GDP growth in the region. The tests sort out the significant determinants of investments. The analysis successfully indicates the significance of domestic savings beside other variables, and confirms the hypothesis, namely, the domestic savings affect investments and indirectly the economic growth, while FDI does not prove to be significant.