Examination of generation Z's intention to use of metaverse with the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology-2

Metaverse virtual environments, which represent a digital universe different from the real world and cover many application areas ranging from virtual economies to entertainment, have been one of the technologies considered worthy of research in the Web 3.0 era. Especially in recent years, these environments have been actively discussed in terms of usage areas, opportunities, technical aspects, and conceptual contexts. The aim of this study is to reveal the acceptance and usage intentions of Generation Z living in Turkey towards Metaverse virtual environments. This study, designed as a survey model with quantitative research methods, collected data from 455 people through the Technology Acceptance and Use Unified Model-2 scale questions and a demographic information form. The collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, ANOVA, and T-test methods. According to the results, the significant factors affecting the acceptance and usage intentions of Generation Z in Turkey towards Metaverse virtual environments are habit, which refers to the continuity and adoption of usage, and performance expectation, which indicates the level of belief in the benefits that users will obtain from the mentioned technology. When analyzing the relationships between the factors in the research model and the demographic characteristics of the participants, although there are both significant and insignificant differences, the constructs that present significant differences according to age, gender, and education level are effort expectancy, which reveals the perceived level of ease and convenience regarding the use of technology, facilitating conditions, which evaluate the environmental conditions in which the users are situated, and performance expectancy.