MAKNA SOSIAL BELANJA ONLINE DI MARKETPLACE SHOPEE BAGI MAHASISWA (Studi Pada Mahasiswa Prodi Manajemen Pemasaran FEB UMM)

Thesis with title "The Social Meaning of Online Shopping on the Shopee Marketplace for Students (A Study of Marketing Management Students, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), UMM)," This study examines the social meanings of online shopping activities on Shopee among students of the Marketing Management Department, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang (FEB UMM), class of 2021. Using a qualitative approach with snowball sampling technique, the research involved ten students as participants and collected data through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation. The data were then analyzed using the symbolic interactionism approach to understand how students interpret their online shopping experiences. The findings reveal that students assign various social meanings to online shopping on Shopee, including convenience and practicality, avoidance of social interaction, access to cheaper options, time efficiency, social influence and recommendations from others, as well as being part of digital lifestyle trends. These meanings are shaped through interactions with symbols found on the Shopee platform, such as the search feature, product reviews, discount icons, and ease of access via smartphones. This study offers a more comprehensive understanding of how online shopping on Shopee is not merely an economic activity, but also a meaningful social process formed through symbolic interaction within the Shopee marketplace environment.