View article

This study explores people's perceptions of and attitudes towards Internet of Things (IoT) devices and their resulting (non)adoption behaviors. Based on 38 interviews (19 pairs each consisting of a Millennial and their parent), we found that few had a clear understanding of IoT, even among those who had already adopted it. Rather, they relied on two distinct conceptual models of IoT that shaped their beliefs, concerns, and adoption decisions: Many approached IoT with an "user-centric" technology mentality, viewing IoT devices as tools to be controlled by the end-user, and focusing on their tangible aspects (e.g. breakability). Others drew on an "agentic" technology perspective, where IoT behaviors were device-driven and, at times, negotiated between the user, other people, and/or the IoT devices. Our study revealed that consumer-oriented IoT currently cater towards the agentic view and raise concerns for those …