Teens' responses to Facebook newsfeed advertising: The effects of cognitive appraisal and social influence on privacy concerns and coping strategies

This study examines how cognitive (benefit-risk appraisal) and social factors (parent and peer communication) are associated with teenagers' privacy concerns as well as individual and social coping strategies in dealing with Facebook newsfeed advertising. A survey conducted with U.S. teen Facebook users demonstrates that benefit appraisal (ad value and relevance) induces greater ad engagement, while risk perceptions (goal impediment, ad intrusiveness, and sponsorship deceptiveness) result in reactive coping strategies such as privacy concerns, ad avoidance, and regulatory control. Parental mediation has a positive impact on teens' privacy concerns and ad avoidance, whereas peer communication makes teens less critical about advertising practices. Teens' privacy concerns lead to ad disengagement and support for government regulation. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.