Smart Glasses in the 2020s society – a sociological approach

For the society of the 2020s, which is drifting towards a Society 5.0, Smart Glasses represent an innovative element of social change. Until now, Smart Glasses have been examined in the context of health care, for navigation in public places and support during sportive activities. The question of which role these can and do play in our society has only been investigated minimally. The study aims to understand a potential user group, “Networking Techs”, in Central Europe. The research converges on social factors, values, beliefs, and correlated norms, focusing on the connection to Society 5.0 and respective megatrends as well as their impact on the target group’s perception of Smart Glasses. A semi-structured, wave-shaped, episodic interview provides the opportunity for a wide-ranging interpretation of the users’ perception. This results in eight compressed categories that provide an understanding of the sociological context regarding the currently inhibited breakthrough of Smart Glasses and present potential use cases in the private sector.