| Abstract: | ABSTRACT Both in business and in academic research, the Internet and electronic commerce grow exponentially. Attention has predominately been directed to developing the companies' capabilities and systems, while the consumers' perspective in contrast has received much less attention. This paper takes this perspective and focuses on online behavior of specifically 16- to 18-year-old teenagers. This particular segment tends to open to new things and know a great deal about using computers and the Internet. A questionnaire conducted among students in a high school in southern Finland showed that the overwhelming majority had computer and Internet access at home. Most of the young respondents had already used the Internet for various purposes and intend to do so even more in the future. For the young, information search and communication were the main purposes of using the Internet, and lower-value products related to mobile phones were the main products being bought online. At the same time they had different concerns that influence their behavior and, somewhat surprisingly, reported a slightly negative attitude towards electronic commerce. In line with previous studies, privacy and security issues were the primary concerns for the young Internet users. Gender aspects also emerged from the data since there were several differences in Internet usage and online purchasing between girls and boys. Based on the findings, the paper ends with implications and recommendations for companies attempting to approach teenagers in order to build relationships with them. |
