In modern times, with ease of access to online social media platforms and its increased usage among people creates a domino effect of drawing more and more people to social media platforms. Such usage of social media platforms results in people paying more attention and spending more time with their mobile phones rather than actual physical social contact, which in turn makes other people feel ignored or excluded. The aim of this study is to determine driving factors of social media addiction including phubbing, self-esteem and need to belong, and consumer’s conspicuous consumption behavior driven by social media addiction, furthermore examine the moderating effect social media platforms on addiction and consumer’s behavioral outcome. Data were collected by online survey in a sample of 435 Mongolian social media users. The study has established, phubbing and need to belong does result in intense social media usage which in turn leads to social media addiction. Furthermore, social media has significant influence on consumer's conspicuous consumption behavior.

ABSTRACT 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS 3
INTRODUCTION 5
1.1. Background of the study 5
1.2. Research Gap 7
1.3. Research Purpose and Research Question 8
1.4. Significance of the Study 9
CHAPTER TWO 10
LITURATURE REVIEW 10
2.1. Self-Esteem and Social Media Usage 10
2.2. Phubbing and Social Media Usage 11
2.3. Need to Belong and Social Media Usage 11
2.4. Social Media Addiction 13
2.5. Social Media Intensity and Social Media Addiction 14
2.6. Social Media Addiction on Conspicuous Consumption 16
2.7. Moderating Effect of Social Media Platform on Social Media Addiction 17
CHAPTER THREE 20
HYPHOTHESIS DEVELOPMENT 20
3.1. Research Framework 20
3.2. Self-Esteem and Social Media Usage Intensity 21
3.3. Phubbing and Social Media Usage Intensity 21
3.4. Need to Belong and Social Media Usage Intensity 22
3.5. Social Media Usage Intensity and Social Media Addiction 23
3.5. Social Media Addiction and Conspicuous Consumption 24
3.6. Moderating Effect of Social Media Platform 25
CHAPTER FOUR 27
Research Methodology 27
4.1. Research Methodology 27
4.2. Data Collection 33
CHAPTER FIVE 37
Data Analysis and Result 37
5.1. Scale Accuracy Analysis 37
5.2. Hypothesis Analysis 40
5.3. Moderating Effect of Hypothesis Testing 42
CHAPTER SIX 44
Discussion 44
6.1. Discussion 44
6.2. Theoretical Implications 46
6.3. Managerial Implications 48
6.4. Limitations of the Study and Future Research Directions 49
References 51
APPENDIX A 61
APPENDIX B 65
APPENDIX C 69
APPENDIX D 74

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