INCOME VOLATILITY AND IRRATIONAL CONSUMPTION: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF CONFORMITY IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOMO, SELF-ESTEEM, CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT, AND CONSUMPTIVE BEHAVIOR AMONG SMALLHOLDER OIL PALM FARMERS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v23.6720Keywords:
Income Volatility, Consumptive Behavior, Fomo, Conformity, Mediating Role, Smallholder Farmers, Oil PalmAbstract
This study examines the paradox in agrarian economics in which increasing commodity income does not necessarily improve household welfare among smallholder oil palm farmers in Rokan Hilir Regency, Riau Province, Indonesia. Although palm oil income continues to rise during productive harvest periods, it is frequently redirected toward conspicuous and consumptive spending rather than productive investment or long-term financial planning. Using a mixed interpretive-empirical approach, this research involved in-depth interviews with ten oil palm farmers and seven key informants conducted in September 2025, supported by long-term field observations and NVivo-assisted thematic analysis. The study develops a mediated framework explaining how income volatility creates a structural condition that intensifies consumptive behaviour through psychological and social mechanisms, particularly Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), celebrity endorsement, self-esteem, and conformity. The findings reveal that income volatility does not directly cause excessive consumption but acts as a structural amplifier that strengthens psychological anxiety and social pressure. FOMO encourages impulsive purchasing behaviour by generating fear of social exclusion, while conformity functions as the primary social mechanism that normalises and reinforces excessive spending practices within the community. Celebrity endorsement through social media further accelerates consumer desire and legitimises debt-based consumption, whereas low self-esteem stimulates compensatory conspicuous consumption, especially during periods of temporary income increase. NVivo analysis demonstrates that concepts such as prestige, recognition, and social comparison dominate participants’ understanding of consumption, while financial planning and saving practices remain largely absent. The study concludes that consumptive behaviour among oil palm farmers is not merely an issue of individual irrationality but is structurally produced through interconnected social and psychological processes. Therefore, sustainable interventions should focus on transforming the social architecture of consumption rather than relying solely on financial literacy programs.
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