Consumer Behavior and Digital Services

This book analyzes the conditions for the development of e‑services and digital services in the European Union. It covers the technological, legal, ethical, and regulatory perspectives, including the present and anticipated EU regulations and directives, as well as the broader digital environment in which contemporary consumers operate. Special attention is devoted to user security, digital competences, levels of knowledge, and awareness of various cyberthreats encountered in everyday use of e‑services and digital services. Theoretical chapters, based on a comprehensive review and secondary research, provide a solid conceptual framework for an in‑depth analysis of developments in digital services markets. They are complemented by an extensive empirical section that draws on highly detailed research conducted among a large cohort of Generation Z, encompassing a wide range of e‑services and digital services, technologies used, and consumer security and digital competences of service users. Each chapter is enriched with the authors' empirical findings to confront existing research and literature with the results of their study, thus offering an up‑to‑date, multidimensional diagnosis and highlighting key implications for policy, education, and business practice. This innovative book will appeal in particular to scholars and post-graduate students in the fields of consumer behavior, consumer law, marketing, technology and innovation management.