By deciphering the notion of perception of privacy and online confidentiality among Generation Z, it is possible to see that differences already exist with previous generations.
When we are born already almost surrounded by screens and fed digital technology, we can, in fact, expect the perceptions inherent to digital technology to evolve. If we focus on those of generation Z (people born between 1996 and 2010), they are radically different from those of the oldest. On the issue of privacy, recent research conducted by Malwarebytes intelligently explores this changing dynamic. Developments that raise crucial questions. Both in terms of the use of cybersecurity tools such as antivirus software and in terms of Generation Z’s specific concerns about their privacy in the digital sphere.
The new face of privacy
When it comes to confronting intergenerational conceptions, it is very easy to fall into caricature. Even if certain statistics can be worrying, notably the propensity of this same generation – in the USA at least – to use TikTok for information, generalizing is not the solution. According to the Malwarebytes survey, a distinctive trait of Generation Z compared to others is less concern about classic cybercriminal acts: theft of banking data or identity theft.
Conversely, the main areas of concern are the exposure of their private information, which could lead to intimidation, harassment, or loss of social relationships. Thus, 62% of people of this generation feel more concerned by the potential disclosure of this embarrassing data than by traditional cybersecurity threats. For people outside this age bracket, this figure drops to 51%. A change of perspective which rather indicates a redefinition of the contours of private life, more focused on the control of public information than on offenses or thefts.
Consent and consequences
Another rather remarkable aspect, specific to Generation Z: a much more rigorous approach to the notion of consent. Before sharing content involving other people, individuals seem much more inclined to systematically ask permission from those involved. Among Gen Z, 39% seek consent from their spouse to publish information about them, compared to 32% for older people.
At first glance, you might think everything is rosy, but other figures reveal that Gen Z views the consequences of disclosing personal information with more concern. Cyberbullying or online harassment is feared much more than among other individuals. For example, 34% fear being physically attacked following exposure to information, compared to 27% for the others. Statistics that can be understood, when we know that 18% have been harassed or stalked online, while this is the case for only 9% of people outside gen Z. In terms of social relations, the observation does not is not necessarily more positive. 17% believe they have lost a friend or loved one (for reasons certainly linked to online exchanges or exposure of information) compared to 8% for the others.
This set of questions inherent to Generation Z’s perception of confidentiality and privacy deserves a more in-depth study than that conducted by Malwarebytes. Indeed, the sample (1,000 people in the United States and Canada) seems relatively small and the report (link in the article’s sources) remains quite vague as to the methodology used to analyze the data. However, it is already interesting to perceive certain dynamics thanks to these major trends highlighted by this little research.
Sources: Malwarebytes, Report
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