The Role of TikTok and Facebook in Influencing Consumer Purchases Among Adolescents in Tañong, Malabon City

This study examines the role of TikTok and Facebook in influencing the purchasing behavior of adolescents in Barangay Tañong, Malabon, by analyzing factors such as demographic profile, level of social media exposure, brand awareness, influencer impact and credibility, peer interaction, online trends, and purchase intention. Employing a quantitative research design, the study utilized a stratified-systematic sampling technique to select 346 adolescent respondents from three secondary schools within the barangay who are active users of both platforms. Data were collected through a self-administered online survey questionnaire consisting of multiple-choice, Likert-scale, and multiple-response items and were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. The findings indicate that exposure to product promotions on TikTok and Facebook has a statistically significant effect on adolescents’ purchase frequency (one-tailed p < 0.000001; two-tailed p < 0.000001). Furthermore, brand awareness, influencer credibility and impact, peer interactions, online trends, and purchase intention were found to have significant relationships with purchase frequency (one-tailed p < 0.000001; two-tailed p < 0.000001). A significant difference was also observed between TikTok-preferring and Facebook-preferring adolescents (one-tailed p = 0.004148; two-tailed p = 0.008296), indicating that TikTok serves as a more dominant promotional platform than Facebook, as respondents reported higher exposure to TikTok advertisements and influencer-generated content. Based on these results, the study recommends that adolescents critically evaluate social media promotions and influencer endorsements to foster informed purchasing decisions and reduce impulsive spending. Future researchers may utilize this study as a foundation for expanding knowledge on adolescent consumer behavior by employing larger sample sizes, different research designs, additional social media platforms, or diverse geographical locations to further validate and extend the findings.