Virtual reality on the go?: a study on social acceptance of VR glasses

Virtual reality (VR) glasses enable to be present in an environment while the own physical body is located in another place. Recent mobile VR glasses enable users to be present in any environment they want at any time and physical place. Still, mobile VR glasses are rarely used. One explanation is that it is not considered socially acceptable to immerse in another environment in certain situations. We conducted an online experiment that investigates the social acceptance of VR glasses in six different contexts. Our results confirm that social acceptability depends on the situation. In the bed, in the metro, or in a train, mobile VR glasses seem to be acceptable. However, while being surrounded by other people where a social interaction between people is expected, such as in a living room or a public cafe, the acceptance of mobile VR glasses is significantly reduced. If one or two persons wear glasses seems to have a negligible effect. We conclude that social acceptability of VR glasses depends on the situation and is lower when the user is supposed to interact with surrounding people.