Americans, on average, consider Internet pop-up ads nearly four times more annoying than TV ads, and about 23 percent of all smartphone users now admit using technology that blocks online advertising.
Americans ages 18-29 comprise the demographic most likely to use some sort of ad blocking technology. However, Millennials are also the age group most tolerant of online advertising and are far more likely to support content creators than any other demographic, according to a recent study of Americans’ ad blocking behavior.
According to the “Ad Blocking Survey and Forecast,” conducted by technology company Optimal.com with Wells Fargo Securities, 21.6 percent of Millennials said they don’t mind online ads, a number far higher than any other age demographic.
Moreover, nearly 8.8 percent of Millennials surveyed said they don’t want to employ ad blockers because they believe it harms content creators. While the number seems small, the demographic boasts a far greater appreciation for marketers than any other age group (by comparison, fewer than .3 percent of respondents over 60 agreed with this statement).
However, regardless of the expressed tolerance for online ads, the study also showed that Millennials seem to employ ad blockers more than any other age group. Nearly a quarter — 24.8 percent — of Millennials polled said they are currently using some sort of ad blocking technology. Those ages 45-59 come in a close second, at 23.1 percent. 22 percent of those ages 30-44 said they block ads, and only 21 percent of those over 60 admitted doing so.
Taken together, study indicates that while online ads remain widely unpopular among all age groups, Millennials more than others seem to recognize the effects ad blocking has on marketers, even if they are statistically more likely to employ ad-blocking technology.
The study also showed Millennials are more likely than any age group to pay for a service that delivers ad-free content. While only 21.1 percent of Americans ages 18-29 would consider the idea of paying for the ability to roam the Internet free from ads, that number comprises a far greater share found in any other age group. By contrast, only 14.9 percent of Americans ages 30-44, 13.9 percent of those ages 45-59 and 13.9 percent of those over 60 said they’d employ such a service.
The Optimal.com/Wells Fargo Securities survey polled more than 1,700 U.S. smartphone users and used a balanced sample of age groups.
The study can be viewed here.
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