The role of socialization agents in adolescents’ responses to app-based mobile advertising

Abstract

This study examines how parents, peers, and media use affect adolescents’ attitudinal and behavioral responses to app-based mobile advertising. A survey conducted with 603 smartphone users aged between 12 and 19 in Singapore suggests that parental factors, particularly control-based restrictive parental mediation, are more influential on younger adolescents than older ones. Findings also demonstrate that adolescents’ susceptibility to normative peer influence makes them less critical about app-based mobile advertising, regardless of their age. Regarding the role of media use, adolescents’ responses to app-based mobile advertising are more a function of perceived smartphone competency than the amount of time spent on smartphones.