illustration: Bing AIData published in Nature Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, collected by Spanish researchers: Erika Fernández-Gómez, Paula Neira Placer, and Beatriz Feijoo Fernández, show that the average age of children`s first contact with a mobile phone in Spain is about 11 years.
Children`s ability to identify advertising content
The study involved 35 children aged 10-14. The results reveal that while most of them can identify advertisements marked with the hashtag #ad, they still struggle to recognize subtler forms of promotion. The influence of social media figures makes children see them more as friends than as brand collaborators.
Children aged 10–14 were able to recognize, on average, 3.25 promotional elements out of five presented in the study. Detailed findings highlight variations depending on age and advertising awareness levels.
| Age group | Average number of recognized ads (out of 5) |
|---|---|
| 10-11 years | 2.1 |
| 12-14 years | 3.9 |
When ads were labeled #ad, recognition rates increased, especially in older age groups.
Reactions to influencer advertising content
According to Erika Fernández-Gómez, Paula Neira Placer, and Beatriz Feijoo Fernández, despite recognizing the commercial nature of many posts, children usually take a neutral or positive stance towards ads, particularly when promoted by their favorite influencers. Only about 40% of respondents felt that ads shared by influencers were unethical or misleading, indicating a relatively low level of criticism toward such content.
The study emphasizes the need for media education on advertising recognition in schools and homes. The findings suggest that younger audiences may need more support to understand the intentions and techniques used by marketers on social platforms.
***
The study was conducted by Erika Fernández-Gómez (Universidad Internacional de la Rioja UNIR, Logroño), Paula Neira Placer (Xunta de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela), and Beatriz Feijoo Fernández (Universidad Villanueva, Madrid).
The results were published in November 2024 in Nature Humanities and Social Sciences Communications under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. They can be accessed at
https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-04003-3
COMMERCIAL BREAK
New articles in section Marketing and PR
PR in Poland. Ranking of the largest public relations agencies 2025
KFi
The smallest teams often generate the most publications, and agencies outside Warsaw are increasingly capturing media attention. This unexpected distribution of power is one of the key findings from the 2025 PR Agency Ranking in Poland, developed by Widoczni and IMM.
Connected TV and borderless advertising. The ID5 report
KFi
Viewers are moving away from cable TV. And they are doing it en masse. Already 86% of Europeans watch content via Connected TV and global ad spend in this segment is set to double by 2028. The industry is undergoing a communication revolution.
AI will take up to 70% of traffic from online stores. TrustMate Report
KFi
There is a quiet but radical change happening online. Traditional SEO, which for decades determined brand visibility, is losing its relevance. Now, it's no longer search engines that define a company’s online presence, but generative artificial intelligence.
See articles on a similar topic:
AI or human? Data on customer preferences in the US, UK, and Canada
KFi
One in three consumers prefers talking to a bot rather than a human, and as many as 86% try to solve the problem on their own first. Still, 74% prefer to call when an issue is urgent. A new report from Five9 shows just how much customer service expectations have changed.
Internet Subscriptions: Market Value, Development Trends, and... Risks
KrzysztoF
According to McKinsey & Company, the number of subscription users globally has increased by over 17% in the past year. A report from UBS Group AG indicates that the total value of the global subscription market will reach as much as $1.5 trillion by 2025. This is twice as much as in 2020!
Influencer Advertising. Teenagers Do Not Always Recognize It
KFi
The rise in the popularity of influencer-promoted content among young people raises issues with their ability to identify the commercial nature of this content. Subtler forms of promotion are often completely unrecognizable to younger teens.
Do Ads on TV Annoy You? Think Again, It’s Quite the Opposite!
Bartłomiej Dwornik
Advertisements don’t irritate viewers; instead, they increase the appeal of television programs, according to research published in the Polish edition of Harvard Business Review. Viewers are actually willing to pay more for shows they watched with ad breaks.




























