A research on examining consumer perceptions towards metaverse: Generations Y and Z

Each innovation from the past to the present has symbolized the beginning of a new era. Metaverse, as an innovation in the field of technology and the technology of the future, is a very radical development that will usher in a new era both in the world order and in human life. Because Metaverse plans to take people's relationship with virtual worlds to a different dimension. At this point, this study is important in terms of knowing what the Metaverse means to people, how they perceive it, and what kind of attitude they have towards it.In this context, a study covering generations was carried out with the aim of revealing their perceptions of the Metaverse, determining whether there are differences in their perspectives, and discovering the differences, if any. Among the generations, the Y generation, which has dominated the process and use of technology from the periods when technological developments and changes were slower until today, and individuals in the Z generation, who are assumed to be more active in modern technologies and will experience future technologies, are targeted.In the study, case study, one of the qualitative research types, and in-depth interview method, one of the qualitative research data collection methods, were used and 50 people were interviewed. As a result of the research, similarities were found in both generations' conceptual and general perceptions of the Metaverse, in some cases.However, in general, it has been found that Generation Y has a relatively more reserved attitude towards the Metaverse, has more negative views and is more anxious than Generation Z. At the same time, it can be said that the tendency to experiment in both generations is close to each other, but in terms of the tendency to adopt technology, Generation Z has a potentially greater tendency. Keywords: Virtual Worlds, Metaverse, Consumer Behavior, Consumer Perception, Generations