The pervasiveness of materialism sensation and its effects on youth behaviour in a small comprehensive South African University

Abstract

Young people are today often confronted with materialism dares that challenge their being. Materialism is a cultural value placed on the accumulation of material possessions; it is a process in which people base their sense of themselves, their well-being and social standing on possession as affirmed by Crossman (2017). In light of this notion, the purpose of this study was to explore the pervasiveness of materialism sensation and its effects on youth behaviour in a small South African comprehensive university. This is a qualitative exploratory research conducted in a small comprehensive university in South Africa. The population of this study comprises BAYID (Bachelor of Art Youth in Development) students. A triangulation sampling procedure is adopted, firstly, purposive sampling procedure is deployed to randomly select only first and third year BAYID students and secondly, convenience sampling procedure is embraced to select available participants. The findings of this study revealed that there is a prevalence of materialism among the university students and it has a huge effect on their behaviour. The current researchers recommend that University management should allocate mentors (people who are financial smarts and manages to keep a good balance between needing, wanting and spending) to students who are deeply rooted in materialism.

Key words: Materialism; Slay queens; Materialistic value, Social status, Social media, Blessers, izikhothane