Korean mothers and advergames: a Protection Motivation Theory approach to evaluating break-based mediation

Purpose This study aims to investigate how Korean mothers perceive the risks of advergames and evaluate their ability to implement break-based mediation strategies. Drawing on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), the study focuses on how mothers appraise the severity and susceptibility of advergame exposure and assesses the feasibility and effectiveness of the “stop-and-take-a-break” strategy. Design/methodology/approach In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 Korean mothers whose children regularly play advergames. A thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in parental perceptions, motivations and constraints related to advergame mediation. Findings Mothers identified risks such as excessive immersion, addiction and product requests but often downplayed the persuasive nature of advergames. While skeptical about the strategy’s effect on advertising influence, many found “stop-and-take-a-break” to be a practical and non-confrontational tool for reducing immersion. Implementation was influenced by parental time availability, emotional resources and anticipated conflict. Most mothers reported high self-efficacy and willingness to adopt the strategy under certain conditions. Research limitations/implications This study is subject to several limitations, including snowball sampling, reliance on self-reported interviews and a sample limited to mothers in a single urban context in South Korea, which may constrain generalizability. At the same time, the findings offer important research implications by foregrounding mothers as active interpreters of advergames and highlighting immersion and presence as central mechanisms shaping mediation practices. Future research can build on this perspective by examining diverse caregivers, using mixed or longitudinal methods and testing how break-based mediation strategies influence children’s cognitive and affective advertising responses across different digital media and cultural contexts. Practical implications Findings highlight the need for culturally grounded parent education that supports feasible and flexible mediation strategies, especially in contexts where mothers bear primary responsibility for digital supervision. Social implications At a societal level, the findings highlight the need for parent-focused education and policy initiatives that move beyond child-centered advertising literacy. Given that mothers often bear disproportionate responsibility for managing children’s digital play, supportive resources that acknowledge caregiving demands and relational labor are essential. Educational programs and policy guidelines can promote flexible mediation tools, such as break-based strategies, that are realistic for everyday family contexts. By strengthening parents’ capacity to manage immersive and commercialized digital environments, such efforts may help reduce the broader social burden associated with children’s exposure to persuasive digital media. Originality/value This study extends parental mediation research by applying PMT to analyze Korean mothers’ real-world responses to advergames, offering novel insights into the intersection of digital consumer culture, caregiving and protective motivation.