Understanding the Dimensions of Young Consumer Vulnerability in the Web 2.0 Society

The young consumers constitute one of the fastest growing Internet populations. This group of consumers spends more time online than adults and surpasses all other age groups in their use of chat, instant messaging and other new forms of electronic communication. Thus, Internet technologies have the potential to promote a power shift from sellers to buyers. Consequently, the global reach of the Internet facilitates young consumer access to more market information that involves larger choice sets, consumer ability to exchange information and opinion with peers. We can argue that teenagers are fully competent consumers because almost adolescents revealed competency in some aspects of consumption such as: using Internet and blogs to improve their consumption skills, comparison shopping, innovation by consumption and usage. However, teenagers could be considered as victimised consumers because of their vulnerability and the lack of their experiences and knowledge in terms of consumption and purchasing. In addition, today's young consumers are facing a new risk related to technologies usages. In order to develop a better understanding of young consumers' vulnerability, it is important to explore the areas and the behaviours associated with the vulnerable young consumers within a marketplace surrounded by technologies.