The Effect of the YOLO (You Only Live Once) Tendency on Hedonic Consumption

Abstract

For today's consumers, spending is no longer merely an economic decision; it has increasingly become a behavior driven by the motivation to "live in the moment." YOLO (You Only Live Once) represents a lifestyle that encourages individuals to prioritize present experiences rather than postponing them, based on the belief that life is lived only once. In this respect, the YOLO philosophy is psychologically linked to hedonic consumption, which encompasses pleasure, enjoyment, emotional satisfaction, and the pursuit of novelty. Hedonic consumption refers to a form of consumption in which shopping goes beyond satisfying basic needs and becomes an activity aimed at experiencing pleasure, enjoyment, and emotional fulfillment. The natural interplay between these two concepts constitutes the primary motivation for this study. Accordingly, the aim of this research is to examine the effect of individuals' YOLO tendencies on their hedonic consumption behaviors. The data were collected through an online survey, and responses from a total of 401 consumers were included in the analysis. The analyses were performed using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 21.0 statistical software. Multiple regression analyses conducted to evaluate the effect of YOLO on hedonic consumption revealed that YOLO tendencies have significant effects on all dimensions of hedonic consumption. The findings further indicate that the YOLO tendency has the strongest explanatory power for the idea shopping dimension of hedonic consumption. Overall, the results suggest that YOLO, as a psychological orientation toward living in the moment, plays an important role in shaping modern consumer culture and offers valuable strategic insights for marketing practitioners seeking to develop YOLO-oriented marketing strategies.

Keywords

• YOLO (You Only Live Once)
• Living in the Moment
• Hedonic Consumption
• Consumer Behavior

Ethical Statement

During the writing process of the study “The Effect of the YOLO (You Only Live Once) Tendency on Hedonic Consumption” scientific rules, ethical and citation rules were followed. No falsification was made on the collected data and this study was not sent to any other academic publication medium for evaluation. The required ethics committee approvals were obtained pursuant to Decision No. 3, dated November 10, 2025, of the Sivas Cumhuriyet University Ethics Review Committee for Social Sciences Research Proposals. Statement of Contribution Rate of Researchers: The contribution rates of the authors in the study are equal. Declaration of Conflict: There is no potential conflict of interest in the study. Funding: No funding was received from any institution or organization for this study. Statement of Use for Artificial Intelligence and Its Types: Artificial intelligence and its various types were not used in the writing of this article. Data Sharing Statement: I declare that, upon reasonable request for the purpose of verifying the findings, I can share the data of this study according to the conditions specified in the relevant section of the "ethical principles and publication policy". Note: This study was prepared as an expanded version of the abstract titled “YOLO and Hedonic Consumption,” which was presented by the authors at the 4th International Writetec Conference on Social and Health Sciences in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, held November 21–23, 2025.

Anı Yaşa (YOLO) Eğiliminin Hedonik Tüketim Üzerindeki Etkisi

Abstract

Günümüz tüketicileri için harcama yapmak artık yalnızca bir ekonomik karar değil, “anı yaşama” güdüsünün yönlendirdiği bir durum haline gelmiştir. YOLO (You Only Live Once) bireylerin yaşama sadece bir kez gelmesi motivasyonuyla, ertelemek yerine mevcut anın sunduğu deneyimleri önceliklendirmesi anlamına gelen bir yaşam tarzını ifade etmektedir. Bu yönüyle YOLO felsefesi, haz, eğlence, duygusal tatmin ve yenilik arayışı gibi unsurları barındıran hedonik tüketimle psikolojik olarak güçlü bir bağ kurmaktadır. Hedonik tüketim, alışverişin yalnızca temel düzeyde ihtiyaçların karşılanmasına yönelik bir faaliyet olmaktan çıkarak keyif alma, deneyim yaşama ve duygusal doyum sağlama amacıyla gerçekleştirildiği bir tüketim biçimi olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Bu iki kavramın doğal olarak birbirini beslemesi düşüncesi çalışmamızın temel motivasyonunu oluşturmuştur. Bu çalışmanın amacı, bireylerin YOLO eğilimlerinin hedonik tüketim davranışları üzerindeki etkisini incelemektir. Çalışmanın verileri çevrim içi anket ile toplanmış olup, toplamda 401 tüketiciden elde edilen yanıtlar analiz kapsamına alınmıştır. Analizler SPSS 22.00 ve AMOS 21.00 istatistiksel paket programları ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. YOLO’nun hedonik tüketim üzerindeki etkisini değerlendirmek amacıyla yapılan çoklu regresyon analizleri, YOLO eğiliminin hedonik tüketimin tüm alt boyutları üzerinde anlamlı etkiler oluşturduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Çalışma sonuçları YOLO eğiliminin Hedonik Tüketim Eğiliminin özellikle fikir edinme odaklı alışveriş boyutunu açıklamada daha güçlü olduğunu göstermektedir. Çalışma bulguları, anı yaşamaya yönelik psikolojik bir yönelim olarak YOLO’nun modern tüketim kültürünün şekillenmesinde önemli bir rol oynayabileceğini ve pazarlama uygulayıcılarına YOLO odaklı stratejik içgörüler sunabileceğini göstermektedir.

Keywords

• YOLO
• Anı yaşama
• Hedonik Tüketim
• Tüketici Davranışı

Ethical Statement

“Anı Yaşa (YOLO) Eğiliminin Hedonik Tüketim Üzerindeki Etkisi” başlıklı çalışmanın yazım sürecinde bilimsel kurallara, etik ve alıntı kurallarına uyulmuş; toplanan veriler üzerinde herhangi bir tahrifat yapılmamış ve bu çalışma herhangi başka bir akademik yayın ortamına değerlendirme için gönderilmemiştir. Gerekli olan etik kurul izinleri Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Bilimsel Araştırma Önerisi Etik Değerlendirme Kurulunun 10.11.2025 tarih 3 sayılı kararı ile alınmıştır. Araştırmacıların Katkı Oranı Beyanı: Yazarların çalışmadaki katkı oranları eşittir. Çatışma Beyanı: Çalışmada herhangi bir potansiyel çıkar çatışması söz konusu değildir. Finansman: Bu çalışma için herhangi bir kurum veya kuruluştan destek alınmamıştır. Yapay Zeka ve Türleri Kullanım Beyanı: Bu makalenin yazımında yapay zeka ve türleri kullanılmamıştır. Veri Paylaşım Beyanı: Bu çalışmanın verilerini bulguların doğrulanması amacıyla makul bir talep üzerine “etik ilkeler ve yayın politikası”nın ilgili kısmında belirtilen şartlara göre paylaşabileceğimi beyan ederim. Not: Bu çalışma, yazarlar tarafından 21-23 Kasım 2025 tarihleri arasında düzenlenen 4. Uluslararası Writetec Yapay Zekâ Çağında Sosyal Bilimler ve Sağlık Bilimleri Kongresi’nde sunulan “YOLO ve Hedonik Tüketim” başlıklı özet bildirinin genişletilmesiyle hazırlanmıştır.

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