Beyond Pleasure, Desire for Meaningful Consumption and Peacefulness from Digital Entertainment Platforms; Extending UTAUT2 Model with Eudemonic Motivation and Tranquility

The landscape of entertainment consumption has undergone a profound shift, with the emergence of digital entertainment platforms becoming indispensable in satisfying consumers' desire for convenience. This study examines the complex interaction between user motivations and the adoption of digital entertainment platforms, focusing on the desire for meaningful consumption and the pursuit of experiencing peacefulness by adopting digital entertainment platforms. We extend the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) by introducing eudemonic motivation (EM) and tranquility (TL) as constructs influencing users' behavioral intention (BI) and actual use (AU) of digital entertainment platforms. Adopting a non-probability mixed sampling method consisting of convenience and snowball sampling, we collected data from 870 active users across five southern Indian states through online surveys. A quantitative study design was used to test the model by employing partial least squares–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The result of PLS-SEM analysis indicated that BI is positively influenced by effort expectancy (EE), hedonic motivation (HM), habit (HA), EM, and TL. Social influence (SI) has no significant influence on BI. The findings reveal that consumers seek meaningful eudemonic experiences and a sense of peacefulness from their digital entertainment interactions. This study serves as a foundation for future research, emphasizing the significance on crafting technologies that resonate with users' quest for meaning and inner peace in digital entertainment consumption.