Young and reckless?
Age directly correlates with likelihood of password sharing, with a clear difference in attitudes. Younger people are more likely to share theirs, and those of an older generation appearing to have an altogether different view. Is this an indication that they are more savvy, or less blasé about security?
It may be that in fact, as younger generations have grown up with multiple online accounts across social media, email, apps and other services, account sharing has become second nature for them. A trend that has been identified among US teenagers, for instance, is password sharing as a sign of affection. To them, sharing a password is a digital entanglement that because of the risk it involves, signifies trust and can be a milestone in a relationship, like sharing the keys to your house with a partner.
On the other hand there are services such as Netflix that actively encourage sharing by building features that allow users to add others to their account.
With these mixed messages it is understandable that younger people are less conscious of the risks of password sharing in a work environment, emphasising the need for education.