Özet:

Human life is emerged as the dynamic process that is in line with the boundaries of parameters that surrounds it. It being a dynamic process has also changed human beings’ relationship with their environment, making it more dynamic, which by extension had the same effect on their consumption practices. The many processes of changes are divided into various eras to better understand them. This study is aimed at evaluating the changes that have happened in the consumption practices of post-modern era consumer, existing as a result of the dynamic process of human life whose effects are observable in every aspect of human life, within the context of Social Impact Theory. It also deals with the human-needs relationship based on the changes brought by the understandings of post-modern era, the changes in the motives that make needs a necessity, and the transformation of consumption practices (i.e., desires and pleasure) into satisfaction as a result of meanings attributed to needs. The fact that a human being is a social creature requires her to interact with other people in her social life. This interaction is an indispensable element of interpersonal communication, affecting the opinions and decision of human beings. The changes seen in the internet-based communication channels brought about by the post-modern era made it possible to melt interpersonal communications simultaneously in the same pot, regardless of time and location. Consequently, corporations which have to legitimize their place before target audiences and especially the consumers, center their purchasing strategies around interpersonal communications and the resulting interactions. Indeed, they create their purchasing strategies by drawing advantage from the fact that consumers affect each other and pay attention to fellow consumers’ comments on internet-based communication channels. Thus, it is of vital importance to present the relationship between the Social Impact Theory and consumption practices. Within this context, the present study first touches upon the subject of Social Impact Theory, then it moves to post-modern consumption and post-modern consumer, which is followed by a discussion on the reflection of social life on consumption and its effect on the transformation of post-modern consumer. 

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