Virtual reality, advertising and minors: Another challenge of cybersociety in the face of immersive technologies

Abstract

Virtual reality stands as a discourse beyond technology, with increasing visibility in all social areas, and becoming one of the protagonists of cyberculture. Advertising is no stranger to this boom of immersive storytelling, and it is becoming usual that campaigns with a transmedia approach use this resource in the face of other narratives and channels of dissemination. Among the existing publics, minors are especially sensitive to the messages to which they are exposed, and therefore must be protected. There is a multitude of studies whose central axis is occupied by this social sector, although there are few studies that interrelate it with digital advertising. In this paper, virtual reality and its presence on YouTube are conceptually exposed, analyzing its advertising use focused on minors. The present investigation tries to elucidate if the immersive advertising complies with the strict control parameters of conventional advertising in its dealings with the minors, and analyzes the convenience of consumption of these campaigns for this public, as well as in what conditions its application is recommended.