Demographic and generational determinants of Poles’ participation in the sharing economy: Findings from a survey data analysis

Abstract

The fast development of technologies in today’s world is accompanied by the mushrooming of digital platforms constituting the core of the ecosystem of sharing economy. This multifaceted phenomenon and its ever-increasing presence have become a subject of public interest and debate, as well as encouraging research and scientific discourse. The article presents the results of the first study of Poles’ participation in sharing economy derived from a questionnaire survey of a representative sample (n = 1000). The purpose of the study was to characterise Poles participating in the digital economy and to determine how they differ in the use of sharing platforms depending on their age group and generation. The analysis has shown that the rates of Poles participating in the digital economy are the smaller, the older the age group, and that a rising number of the users of digital economy solutions translates into greater acceptance of sharing platforms. Among the oldest Poles, 70% do not participate in the digital economy and as much as 80% in the sharing economy. The numbers sharply contrast with generations Z and Y that participate in the sharing economy almost without exception. The most popular of sharing services turned out to be accommodation reservation indicated by every third respondent.

Crowdfunding from the perspective of young people

“…The research conducted in Indonesia exposed that the interest of young people in utilizing or choosing digital financial platforms, one of which is crowdfunding platforms, occurs as the impact of digital financial literacy gets more robust in the younger generation. This phenomenon is also demonstrated by the research of Warwas et al (2022), showing that young people's ability to adapt to technology quickly is the key to their involvement in digital finance in Poland, which represents the situation in Europe. The phenomenon shown by previous research denotes the profound influence of young people on the development of digital finance.…”

“…To give a novelty to previous research, this current study involved young people respondents to assess what factors made them interested in contributing to crowdfunding platforms. Previous research did not specifically show how young people might be attracted to contribute to crowdfunding platforms, although research by Bhardwaj et al (2019), Arifah andDalimunthe (2021), andWarwas et al (2022) have shown the phenomenon of high youth involvement in digital finance, including crowdfunding. By identifying the dominant factors attracting young people, the success factors of crowdfunding platforms can be prepared for the future.…”

Are Young People Keen to Adopt More Sustainable Behaviour by Using Shared Services?

“…According to statistics from Statista (2021), nearly 45 million adults in the US used SE services, rising to nearly 87 million by 2021. Study of Warwas et al (2022) demonstrates that among the most popular platforms are accommodation booking services (26.7%), which are mainly used by Poles aged 25-34 (44%) and 18-24 years old(39%). Less frequently used services include the free exchange of goods, services, knowledge and skills (17%).…”