Abstract

Abstract
Digital platforms transform children’s relationships with media through algorithmic marketing strategies targeting Generation Alpha. This ethnographic study explores how digital platforms shape children’s musical cultures through algorithmic recommendation systems and commercial content strategies. Focusing on 22 children aged 8–11 in northern Portugal, drawing-talks and participant observation reveal the emergence of musicmedia, a hybrid convergence of music, visuals, platforms, and social practices, amid tensions between algorithmic prescription and children’s creative agency. Key findings demonstrate TikTok as primary discovery engine, funneling children through personalized recommendation sequences toward sustained YouTube and Spotify engagement. Children actively curate playlists, optimize content trajectories, and reappropriate viral fame narratives, transforming platform logics into spaces for identity experimentation and peer validation. Algorithms serve dual functions: prescriptive content delivery optimizing engagement conversion and aspirational narratives fostering long-term retention. Theoretically, results advance understanding of musicmedia as sociocultural phenomenon negotiating children’s imaginative resistance against platform architectures. Findings challenge protectionist approaches, highlighting sophisticated digital competencies among Generation Alpha. Implications inform music marketing strategies leveraging virality-sequencing, authentic aspiration amplification, and algorithmic transparency within children’s digital ecosystems.

Abstract
Immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) is a transformative technology in education, offering unique opportunities to create engaging and authentic learning environments. While its potential for Foreign Language Learning (FLL) is widely acknowledged, a comprehensive, macro-level overview of the scientific landscape of this specific domain remains underexplored. This study addresses that gap by presenting a bibliometric analysis of the research on iVR in FLL from 1977 to 2024. A consolidated dataset of 2090 documents was retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus databases and analysed using the 'bibliometrix' package in R. The analysis reveals a significant exponential growth in publications since 2017, positioning the field as a rapidly expanding and dynamic area of study. The findings identify the most productive countries (China, USA, Taiwan) and institutions (National Taiwan Normal University, Chinese University of Hong Kong), as well as the most influential authors and sources that have shaped the discourse. Co-citation and co-authorship network analyses further reveal the modular intellectual and social structures of the field, highlighting core themes and distinct research communities. This study provides a quantitative foundation that complements existing qualitative reviews, offering valuable insights into the field's historical trajectory, key players, and emerging trends, thereby guiding future research and collaboration.

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Abstract
Marketing communication has changed a lot in recent decades, mainly due to new technologies and shifts in how consumers behave. Generation Alpha, born from 2010 onwards, is the first to grow up fully surrounded by digital media, but traditional advertising is still part of their everyday lives. This makes it important to understand how they see and react to both online and offline marketing. This study looks at Generation Alpha’s attitudes toward marketing communication, focusing on how they perceive, prefer, and respond to different advertising formats. It uses a qualitative approach with focus groups involving children aged 6 to 13, allowing a closer look at their experiences and emotional reactions to ads on digital platforms, social media, television, and outdoor media. The results show a clear preference for digital communication, especially formats that are interactive, audiovisual, and entertaining. Online advertising tends to be viewed as more appealing and relevant when it includes storytelling, strong visual elements, and chances to interact. Even so, offline advertising still plays a role, particularly in family contexts, where exposure often happens with parents or in shared viewing moments. In both online and offline environments, aspects such as transparency, credibility, and the perceived honesty of the message are central to whether advertising is accepted or rejected. Overall, the study helps clarify how younger consumers relate to marketing communication and points to practical paths for brands that want to build strategies that are ethical, credible, and effective for a digital-native generation.

Abstract