The concept of a sharing economy, as part of a wider collaborative economy concept, is among the most important economic and technological trends that will influence socioeconomic development in the future. Interest in using the opportunities offered by sharing platforms is increasing; hence, the subject is a current and important issue. Confidence in technology, service providers and application providers is a key issue when making decisions about using such solutions. The aim of the paper is to examine the level of trust in sharing economy business models considering two groups of factors, trust in people and in technology, among several demographic groups. The paper has an empirical character and the results are provided on the basis of a survey conducted in Szczecin, Poland, with 403 respondents who are current and potential users of sharing platforms. The obtained results show that platform management requires more attention focused on building mutual trust networks among participants rather than strengthening the confidence in using the technology.

The COVID-19 pandemic has limited human freedom in many areas. Developing a COVID-19 vaccine has been a key task to contain the spread of the virus. In many countries, there is increasing concern about anti-vaccines due to complications after receiving the vaccine. The research problem concerns the opinions of Polish and Palestinian students after receiving vaccinations against COVID-19. This study involved 657 respondents (332 from Poland and 325 from Palestine) who completed the original questionnaire online. The respondents present two different cultures, embedded in different existential conditions, also in terms of health care, and especially the availability of vaccines. The obtained data indicate that almost 50% of research participants from both countries believe that vaccines are an effective antidote to the pandemic situation. Respondents in both populations believed that it was their personal choice to undergo vaccinations. The social motivation for vaccination in both groups was the desire to participate in public life, and the possibility of free travel for Poles, and the fear of infecting other people for Palestinians. The most common side effect reported after vaccination was pain at the site of the infection. Medical assistance was more often sought by respondents from Palestine. From an existential, psychosocial and health perspective, vaccines contributed to strengthening the vital forces in a large part of the population, allowed rebuilding social interactions and gave a sense of security in the daily functioning of a person.