<![CDATA[The growth of Mobile Short Video Applications (MSAs) such as TikTok Shop has transformed social media into a transactional platform that integrates entertainment and commerce simultaneously (shoppertainment), a condition that drives high impulse buying behavior among Gen Z. Prior studies have predominantly relied on quantitative approaches, thereby overlooking the microscopic psychological dynamics and subjective meanings behind post-purchase rationalization and long-term perceptions of the platform. This study aims to explore and understand in depth how Gen Z in Denpasar City construct meaning from their impulse buying experiences on TikTok Shop, using a qualitative phenomenological approach examined through Dual Process Theory, the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) Model, Impulse Buying Theory, Flow Theory, and Cognitive Dissonance Theory. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with five active Gen Z TikTok Shop users in Denpasar (purposive sampling), along with one academic informant for triangulation, and analyzed using NVivo-assisted thematic analysis. The findings show that impulse buying arises situationally when consumers are passive and fatigued, shaped by repeated exposure to content on the For You Page without conscious cognitive evaluation. Post-purchase, consumers rationalize their decisions through varied patterns, forming a multidimensional and ambivalent relationship with TikTok Shop across functional, emotional, and symbolic dimensions. This study extends the S-O-R framework through a constructivist paradigm and offers insight for industry practitioners and Gen Z consumers to enhance self-awareness against algorithmic temptation in digital spaces.]]>
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