Incitación al consumo de juguetes a través de ‘youtubers’ infantiles. Estudio de caso

Abstract

When the content of youtubers focusses on an excessive consumption of toys in a private environment such as the home, and they transmit positive emotions related to their use, it generates strong empathy especially when it addresses an audience as vulnerable as children. If the commercial interest of these videos is not identified, the ability to influence the children is even greater. This makes the contact of children between the ages of three and six with influencers on YouTube one of the main challenges faced by society. In this case study, all the content published on Vlad and Niki, one of the most popular infant youtuber channels in the world, from its opening in 2018 to 2021, has been analyzed. The results show that children naturally introduce a disproportionate number of toy brands in their videos without disclaiming that it is an advertising agreement. These child influencers encourage the consumption of toys by using them in everyday situations in an entertaining way. After the conclusions have reached, preventive measures are proposed so that the advertising of toys does not promote an excessive desire to obtain and accumulate new products by this audience.