PRIVACY CONCERNS OF DIGITAL NATIVES: DIGITAL ABOVE ALL?

Abstract

Data is the main resource of the digital economy. Accordingly, personal data constitutes the exchange value for the use of numerous online services such as social media. Many Internet users willingly disclose their data to these services. Oftentimes, there exists a discrepancy between individual privacy preferences and actual behavior. Against this background, this study examines the preferences of the so-called digital natives for privacy. 3,000 students aged between 14 and 21 in Germany were asked about their use of social media and their privacy preferences for these online services. In addition, their willingness to pay for privacy-friendly online services is analyzed. The study shows that while privacy is important to many digital natives, most are not willing to pay for it.