Exploring the Perspectives of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants on Virtual Reality as a Playground in Museums

This study examines how museum visitors perceive virtual reality as a form of edutainment in exhibitions, and whether those perceptions vary between digital natives and digital immigrants. Building on the view that media literacy depends on a combination of age, media socialization, and personal media experience rather than age alone, the research was conducted with a local art museum in Germany, where visitors could explore a VR model of a baroque ballroom that was also part of an ongoing exhibition. Data were collected over four Sundays in June 2023 from 49 volunteer visitors, using a mixed methods design that combined a questionnaire with closed and open items and participant observation during the VR sessions.

Participants aged 18 to 49 with high digital comfort and prior VR experience were classified as digital natives, while those aged 50 and older who reported confidence in their media literacy but little VR use were classified as digital immigrants. Analysis drew on grounded theory logic alongside a comparison of mean questionnaire values, yielding four central categories shaping the VR experience: interaction, immersion, usability, and prevalence. Overall, visitors responded to VR elements with openness and curiosity, but expectations diverged sharply by group.

Digital natives regarded interaction as the foundation of an immersive experience and welcomed more frequent VR integration in exhibitions. Digital immigrants viewed interactive features as an added challenge that did not necessarily enhance immersion, valuing instead detail and historical accuracy, and they expressed a strong preference for user-friendly design. Their concern that greater reliance on VR might replace the physical museum visit is also noted. The authors conclude that experiences tailored to native standards of immersion could overwhelm less experienced visitors, and recommend further research on how media socialization shapes perceptions of VR, including the views of museum staff, to support inclusive playground concepts in public cultural spaces.