Privacy paradox and privacy calculus
Introduction: Digitalization has reshaped everyday life while creating new privacy and security risks, which are particularly acute for middle-aged and older adults who entered the digital era relatively late. This study examines how Chinese middle-aged and elderly individuals perceive digital priva...
| Autores: | , , |
|---|---|
| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona |
| Repositorio: | Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:dnet:uabarcelona_::0c9d6478cec0681c94923391064ecf15 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://ddd.uab.cat/record/327083 https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1646272 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Privacy Privacy paradox The elderly Privacy calculus Digital stress |
| Sumario: | Introduction: Digitalization has reshaped everyday life while creating new privacy and security risks, which are particularly acute for middle-aged and older adults who entered the digital era relatively late. This study examines how Chinese middle-aged and elderly individuals perceive digital privacy risks and navigate the tension between privacy protection and everyday digital participation under digital stress. Methods: Six focus group discussions were conducted with 25 Chinese participants aged 45 and above, and the transcripts were analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis. Results: Findings reveal that while older adults show a high level of privacy awareness, their protective behaviors are shaped by culture, gaps in digital literacy, and structural dependence on digital infrastructures. Under digital stress, these constraints give rise to a privacy paradox in which individuals remain vigilant yet make strategic compromises to sustain digital participation. Discussion: The findings suggest that the privacy paradox among Chinese middle-aged and elderly users is less an attitudinal inconsistency than a structural dilemma shaped by cultural norms, digital literacy gaps, and institutional dependence on digital infrastructures, highlighting the need for supportive designs and policies that reduce digital stress and strengthen privacy protection capabilities in later life. |
|---|