The Double-Edged Role of Social Media Marketing in India: Consumer Engagement, Impulse Buying and Ethical Challenges

This study examines how social media marketing (SMM) is increasingly influencing young Indian customers, with an emphasis on impulsive purchasing. Young people’s everyday lives now concentrate around social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where shoppable content, influencer endorsements, short-form videos, and targeted advertisements significantly impact consumer choices. The study emphasises how psychological factors, such as societal acceptance, peer pressure, emotional pleasure, and FOMO, drive impulsive purchasing. The study also critically analyses ethical issues that affect consumers such as privacy threats, deceptive advertising, phony reviews, and a lack of accessibility from influencers. Although social media marketing (SMM) provides businesses with useful tools to increase sales and brand engagement, the results show that innovation along with accountability must be balanced for long-term success