The Influence of New Media Literacy on Brand Engagement: Mediating Effects of Perceived Interactivity and Openness and the Moderating Effect of Age

The shift toward new media has brought changes to market participants. New media literacy has emerged as a necessary competency for consumers, and brand engagement has become a key goal of brand communication. However, despite the established importance of new media literacy, how it affects perceptions and reactions toward brand communication has not been investigated. This study examined how functional and critical consuming literacy, which are components of new media literacy, influence brand engagement through the mediating roles of perceived interactivity and openness and the moderating effect of age. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 260 South Korean adults and a hypothetical brand’s social media post. The results showed that the effect of functional consuming literacy on engagement varied by age: functional consuming literacy in the younger group decreased perceived interactivity, perceived openness, and brand engagement. In the older group, functional consuming literacy preliminarily increased perceived interactivity. Critical consuming literacy enhanced perceived interactivity and openness, positively affecting brand engagement across all ages. This study reframes new media literacy as critical in shaping consumer behavior and brand interactions. These findings suggest that new media literacy is a critical variable in understanding consumer behavior in the new media era.