‘Regrettable‐escapism’ the negative effects of mobile app use: A retail perspective
基于使用与满足理论和心流理论，通过问卷调查和深度访谈，发现消费者在零售购物应用中因逃避现实而沉浸其中，导致时间浪费感、内疚和沮丧，进而影响再次使用意愿和品牌忠诚度。
<p> Despite the enhanced shopping opportunities that mobile devices offer to consumers, there is a fine line between consumers enjoying the mobile shopping process and them regretting the time spent involved in it. Through the lens of <em>Uses and Gratifications Theory</em> (U>) and drawing on <em>Flow Theory</em>, this study aims to understand the effects of consumers' interactions with mobile shopping apps on their intention to reuse the app in the future, loyalty towards the brand and brand reputation. Study 1, through a questionnaire (<em>n</em> = 1024), provides insight into the positive and negative relationships between Utilitarian and Hedonic gratifications on intentions to reuse a retailer's mobile app, loyalty towards the b,rand and the brand's reputation. Through undertaking 24 in-depth interviews, Study 2 provides deeper insight into these relationships to uncover the complex nature of the negative effects of escapism. Findings demonstrate that the addictive nature of retailers' shopping apps lead to <em>regrettable escapism</em>. The flow state of mind experienced during escapism, becoming engrossed and notions of time-distortion, leave consumers with feelings of guilt and frustration due to the perceived wasted time spent on the retailer's app. Accordingly, this study advances theoretical understanding of escapism and its negative effects with ubiquitous, portable smartphones. The research provides implications for retailers and policy makers, while offering avenues for future research. </p>