Beyond usability: innovation in the digital age as an antidote to social isolation

The study's objective: The article aims to evaluate the impact of life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, considering the perception of usability of intelligent personal assistants (IPAs) and investigating possible moderations of consumer innovation dimensions in this relationship. Methodology/Approach: Field research was carried out with 515 users of intelligent personal assistants (IPAs). The results were analyzed using multiple linear regression, using the SPSS software (Statistical Package for Social Science v.22), with the application of the PROCESS macro. Originality/Relevance: This study contributes to filling a gap in the literature on the diffusion of innovation and adoption of technological products by investigating aspects of innovative consumption in a pandemic and social isolation scenario. Main Results: The research results indicate that domain-specific innovativeness (DSI) moderates the relationship between usability (SUS) and life satisfaction (LS). In contrast, innovativeness behavior (IB) moderates this relationship only with DSI maintained at medium and low levels. It was observed that, with greater usability, life satisfaction increases and is moderated by domain-specific innovativeness. For higher IB levels, LS increases more quickly. Theoretical/Methodological Contributions: Integrating concepts from theories of innovative consumption and diffusion of innovations, the study offers insights into how technology affects well-being in a global crisis. This advanced approach helps understand the mechanisms underlying the impacts of usability and innovation on human behavior. Social/Managerial Contributions: This study helps understand how IPA users can experience greater life satisfaction and social isolation during a pandemic.