An international team of scientists conducted a study showing that most internet users fail to notice hidden advertising on social networks. This is especially true for ads disguised as regular posts, Peopletalk reports.
During the experiment, 152 active internet users were shown a specially prepared social media feed containing 29 posts, 8 of which were hidden ads. Special devices tracked the participants’ eye movements to see which posts drew more attention.
The findings revealed that users tend to pay more attention to secondary ad markers, such as logos or branded buttons. However, when an ad is disguised as a regular user post, it is usually mistaken for normal content.
“We often scroll through the feed on autopilot, and that’s exactly when ads slip into our attention unnoticed. Sometimes we consciously engage with them because they reflect trends or products our friends are talking about,” said study author Mike Hübner from the University of Twente.
Experts believe that such cases should encourage social media platforms to make advertising labels more visible, helping users better distinguish the true purpose of the content.
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