From Possessions to Purpose: How Materialism Shapes Youth Minimalist Consumption

Abstract

Purpose – This study examines how distinct dimensions of materialism shape minimalist consumption orientations among the young. Specifically, it investigates how materialism centrality, happiness, and success relate to three dimensions of consumer minimalism—limited possessions, sparse aesthetics, and mindfully curated consumption—during adolescence and emerging adulthood, and explores whether these relationships differ between girls and boys.

Design/Methodology/Approach – A quantitative survey was conducted among adolescents (N=837). The conceptual model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Potential gender differences were examined via permutation-based multigroup analysis.

Findings and implications – Materialism centrality emerged as the most robust predictor, showing strong and consistently negative associations with all three minimalist orientations, indicating that identity-anchored attachment to possessions represents the primary barrier to youth minimalism. Materialism happiness showed no independent associations with minimalist orientations once the other materialism dimensions and controls were considered. Materialism success was positively associated with sparse aesthetics, suggesting that aesthetic minimalism may be compatible with success-oriented value logics and may operate as a form of refined simplicity rather than broad restraint. Multigroup analysis indicated that the structural relationships were largely comparable across girls and boys; the only significant difference was a stronger negative effect of centrality on sparse aesthetics among boys. These results underscore the need to conceptualize materialism and minimalism as multidimensional, partially compatible orientations rather than simple opposites in youth consumption.

Limitations – The cross-sectional design limits causal inference, while the focus on a single cultural context may restrict generalizability.

Originality – By integrating materialism and consumer minimalism within a single analytical framework, this study advances a theory on identity-based consumption and offers novel insights into the dialectical and gender-sensitive negotiation of sustainable consumption orientations in early adulthood.