Analyzing the trust of the masses in online mediums in China: A case study of Generation X and Millennials

Abstract

In the modern era of digitalization, the utilization of online platforms has rapidly increased among individuals from different generations in China and other countries around the globe. The utilization of online media varies among different generations. For instance, millennials are likelier to operate online platforms easily as compared to Generation X because they have grown up with social media and possess essential technical skills to operate such platforms. However, the excess of anything also comes with an expense. Similarly, the increased utilization of online platforms has also increased the prevalence of fake news and scams on social media, impacting the trust of the users. This study has also focused on determining the online presence and trust of the masses in China within the context of Generation X and millennials. For this quantitative study, the data was collected from 260 participants (including Generation X and millennials) via an online survey. After the collection of required data, it has been analyzed by using the SPSS technique; the results obtained from this study showed that online social presence has a significant impact on generalized trust. Similarly, both platform familiarity and negative experience also have significant mediating roles in the association between online social presence and generalized trust. This study has also been effective in providing different practical and theoretical implications concerning the online social presence of Generation X and millennials.