A Reverse Digital Divide: Comparing Information Security Behaviors of Generation Y and Generation Z Adults

Abstract

How individuals conceptualize their accountability related to digital technology. There may also be age-based vulnerabilities resulting from personal perceptions about the importance of engaging in best-practices. However, age may not be as critical as experience when it comes to implementation of these behaviors. Using the Cybersecurity Behaviors subscale of the Online Security Behaviors and Beliefs Questionnaire (OSBBQ), this study compared the self-reported cybersecurity attitudes and behaviors across college-aged individuals from Generation Y and Generation Z. Data were derived from a convenience sample of predominantly African-American and Caucasian respondents (N=593) recruited from two public universities in Virginia, USA. Four of the eight OSBBQ subscale items demonstrated significant differences between Generation Y and Generation Z adults. Generation Y adults reported greater reviewing of privacy policies on social media, maintenance of antivirus updates, watching for unusual computer performance, and acting on malware alerts, but no significant differences on the other items. It is reasonable to assume that the observed elevated scores were accompanied by greater individual knowledge of information security simply because of being older as a cohort, suggesting that the group was also more experienced and less likely to perceive themselves as invulnerable to online victimization.

Do digital natives use mobile payment differently than digital immigrants? A comparative study between generation X and Z

“…This result can be explained by Generation X consumers being more risk-avoidant [32] and more experienced with financial services such as cashless payment [101]. In turn, digital natives (Generation Z) were not concerned about risks related to using digital devices that corroborates the finding of Debb et al [74].…”

“…This finding was somewhat surprising in the Generation X group since they claimed to be more risk-avoidant [32] and revealed higher perceived risk in mobile banking [73]. The result, however, is less striking for Generation Z because they tend to care less about privacy issues than Generation X [74].…”

“…communication technology [69], social networks [70], digital assistant [71], mobile shopping [19], mobile commerce [72], mobile banking [73], information security behavior [74], and paying for cloud services [75] by generations.…”

“…Therefore, digital immigrants (Generation X) are assumed to be more aware of the security issues of their financial transactions. In turn, Generation Z is less concerned about privacy and financial risks because they often omit basic security practices and share a large amount of personal information online [74]. The following hypotheses were formulated:…”

NFC m-payment as a driver for customer loyalty towards retailers amongst Generation Z

“…Zers, as digital natives, rely much more on mobile technology for personal use than previous generations. Cybersecurity research confirmed that Generation Z adults tend not to pay attention to privacy policies, do not notice unusual computer performance or care less about antivirus and malware notifications (Debb et al. , 2020).…”