The Drivers of Wearable Device Usage

Abstract

The World Health Organization has warned populations about illnesses that can develop due to radiation. Since smartglasses, which are worn on the head right next to the brain, can emit radiation, their usage might be hindered by the Perceived Health Risks people associate with such devices. In this article, we empirically evaluate the topic by studying the influence of Perceived Health Risk on smartglasses usage. After collecting 109 completed online questionnaires about one specific pair of smartglasses, Microsoft HoloLens, and applying a structural equation modeling approach, our findings indicate that smartglasses are at least partly hedonic technologies whose usage is influenced by Perceived Enjoyment. Furthermore, although we could not confirm a direct negative influence of Perceived Health Risk on the Behavioral Intention to Use smartglasses, we con- firmed an indirect negative influence of Perceived Health Risk on Behavioral Intention to Use through Perceived Enjoyment. These findings suggest that smartglasses manufacturers need to emphasize the hedonic benefits of their devices as well as address people’s potential negative perceptions of these devices in terms of their health.