Blocked! The psychology behind the usage of ad-blocking software
2015
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Blocked! The psychology behind the usage of ad-blocking software
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2015
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The use of internet ad-blocking software as a form of online ad avoidance is increasing rapidly, and websites/online advertisers are seeing their revenues decline as a result. Ad-blocking software is free to download, easy to use, and available across a variety of platforms. Approximately 10% of internet users are now blocking ads, and year-over-year growth is close to 40%. Websites and online advertisers have pushed users to whitelist—the term used when users disable their ad-block for a specific site—but have had limited success. This paper evaluates how ad characteristics, demographics, and exposure affect internet ad-blocking usage. Through a survey and statistical analysis, it was determined that demographics and exposure are significant drivers: younger internet users are more likely to use ad-blocking software, and a major inhibitor of ad-blocking growth appears to be lack of mainstream exposure. However, ad characteristics do not have an effect on ad-blocking usage or whitelisting likelihood. The results suggest that ad-blocking software is poised for long-term growth, and websites/online advertisers will need to adapt.
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Rafian, Jahan. (2015). Blocked! The psychology behind the usage of ad-blocking software. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/174003.
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