A reverse digital divide: Comparing information security behaviors of generation Y and generation Z adults.
Technology in the digital realm has shaped users’ behavior and beliefs in the sense of security in the cyber world. Do these security behaviors vary with the regard to age? Are the best practices being exercised more by digital natives as they are seen as more technologically advanced than the older generation of digital immigrants? Today all users share a space in the cyber world and navigating that space with security has little to no “normalized standards” (Debb et al., 2020). Cyber threats can appear to be abstract and non-existent to many users until the moment that threat touches them. As most groups of US citizens are internet users -what group in the context of age is more susceptible to these kinds of threats? Cybersecurity awareness is becoming essential for individuals as the “omnipresence of digital technology is embedded in daily life” (Debb et al., 2020). Determining the digital divide plays a role in the context of security perception -the age group that an individual belongs to might determine the knowledge of the best-known practices with the actual implementation. As “awareness should not be mistaken for action” (Debb et al., 2020). In this study, the researchers compare two of the most recent digitally native generations -Gen Y and Gen Z.
In this study, the researchers categized Gen Y as individuals born between the years 1977 -1994 and Gen Z as individuals born between the years 1995 and later. The social science of sociology, psychology, and criminology all intertwin within the scopes of this study, by investigating group behavior in the context of digital security. This study collected their findings by using a Cybersecurity Behavior Subscale of the Online Security Behaviors and Beliefs Questionnaire (QSBBQ) and compared those results by conducting self-reported cybersecurity attitudes and behaviors across college-age individuals from both generations Y and Z. The study found that Gen Y was more observant of cybersecurity vulnerability than the younger generation Z in areas of “reviewing privacy policies, noticing unusual computer performances and having an awareness of antivirus and malware automatic notification” (Debb et al., 2020). It can be assumed that Gen Y is more knowledgeable on the best security measures than their younger Gen Z counterparts because of more years of experience. Gen Z is also in the stage of entering into young adulthood -where in youth, individuals can feel indestructible.
My Thoughts
Although I mostly agree with this study, I see limitations within the analysis as the nature of this research was based on volunteers and was self-reported. The researchers of this study also admitted that while the study provides helpful insight into the generational differences between Gen Y and Gen Z, it is not, however, an actual report of true behaviors within the scope of cybersecurity practices but only a self-reported one. These insights can provide useful as we enter an age of persistent cyber threats in the ecology of our digital life. These findings can be taken into consideration in educating the next younger generation in preparation for their awareness of the silent but real vulnerabilities online.
Reference:
Debb, S., Schaffer, D., & Colson, D. (2020). A reverse digital divide: Comparing information security behaviors of generation Y and generation Z adults. International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence and Cybercrime, 3(1), 42-55. https://www.doi.org/10.52306/03010420GXUV5876