From Web2.0 to Web5.0: The Psychological Belongingness of Gen-Z in the Context of Digital Diversification

Abstract

The era of Web2.0 remarks the beginning of the industrialization era of data, computing, and products. As the value of data becomes more and more prominent, the impacts of digital diversification (DD) on psychological belongingness (BE) is significant. In this article, Gen-Z, which is defined to be more susceptible to the development of digital technology, is selected as the research object. Based on the ABC theory, a research model is constructed to explore the causal relationships among the five variables, DD, personality, digital self-efficacy (DSE), perceived service value (PSV) (of DD), and sense of BE, and Smart-PLS is applied for analyzing data obtained from 642 respondents. By classifying the results by gender, both male (n = 306) and female (n = 336) respondents showed positive effects on the six direct effects. However, in the verification of DSE and PSV as mediators, the mediating effect of DSE was not significant among male respondents in Generation Z. Predictably, as moving toward Web5.0, that is, the human–computer integration that can resonate with users, the observed benefits of DD, along with the accompanying psychological effects, will also merit attention in future research.