The Use of Digital Media and Security Precautions in Adulthood

Abstract

The use of digital media through chatting, online conferencing, or browsing has become a leisure activity for many people, but it is not necessarily characterized by caution. Given the possibilities for misuse of data, the question of whether users actually implement security precautions and pay attention to protection of their data is important. The present study examines whether the use of digital media or security precautions is associated with age, commitment to technology (feelings of competence and control in dealing with technology), and flexible goal adjustment (the capacity to adjust personal goals in difficult life situations). In addition, we examine whether age differences in the use of social media (e.g., Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Skype, and Zoom) are moderated by the commitment to technology and flexible goal adjustment. A total of 841 adults between 19 and 71 years of age ( ${\text{M}}_{\text{age}}=43.57$ ; $\text{SD}=15.12$ ) participated in a cross-sectional questionnaire study. Age was positively correlated with security precautions but negatively with the use of social media. Security precautions and the use of digital social networks were correlated significantly with general flexibility of goal adjustment and technology commitment, even after age and gender were controlled with a structural equation model. Moderation analyses revealed that the relation between social media use and age was weaker among participants with higher degrees of technology commitment and flexible goal adjustment. We discuss the extent to which flexible goal adjustment and technology commitment can provide a mental precondition that promotes both digitized leisure activity and security precautions.