Teens are split on whether or not to trust ads

Ads are everywhere

People these days are perpetually inundated with data. Whether it is a flash ad in a game app, a commercial on tv or a barrage of posts on social media, it is hard to keep fact from fiction straight.

That being said, it is no wonder that teens don’t know whether or not to trust ads.

Science says

A recent survey done by YouGov found out that teens are divided on the issue of trusting advertisements they see, hear and read.

The survey in May of 2017 showed that in the United States, 47 percent of teens between 13 years old and 17 years old found ads to be “somewhat trustworthy.”

On the flip side, 46 percent of the same age range felt the opposite about ads.

Also noted was that 6 percent didn’t feel any way and had no opinion. An analyst noted that, “Compared to their elders, teens probably ingest a disproportionate amount of their advertising in venues like Snapchat and Instagram, which they regard as their own turf.”

Remembering that teens have a much more solid presence in these ad dense social mediums helps to explain some of the data. That also helps explaining how, per the survey, most teens 13-17 both enjoy watching ads with their favorite celebrities and find them helpful.

Sharing helps trust

Teens are the kings and queens of sharing. Homecoming campaigns, promposals, miscellaneous contests are created, followed and won at the whim of a few hundred shares, retweets and reposts.

Teens unknowingly repost ads from celebrities, brands and friends all of the time and generally have no clue they’re sharing ads.

That is prime advertising and it doesn’t even cost the brand or company a dime for their message to spread like wildfire and be trusted by ridiculous amounts of teens.

Follow your gut

All in all, the teen jury is still out on if they should, or shouldn’t, trust ads. If you know any teens make sure you remind them of internet safety and to not trust everything they find, even if their favorite celebrity says it’s true- no matter how many eye rolls.

And if you are a teen, if you get nothing else out of this, I hope you remember this: If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

#TeensAds