The Impact of Colourism in Social Media Advertising on Young Consumers’ Attitude and Behaviour in Malaysia

Abstract

Advertising has moved towards the notion that fair skin is the ideal standard of beauty. However, exposure to social media has opened the eyes of many, to issues such as colourism. Employing Critical Race Theory, this study explores the impact of colourism in social media advertisements on young consumers’ attitude and purchasing behaviour in Malaysia. In-depth interviews were conducted on 11 active social media users aged 19 to 27 years old. Thematic analysis was used and found that consumers’ awareness of colourism has caused an unfavourable attitude towards ads. Moreover, consumers’ behaviour towards products advertised were mostly impacted psychologically.