Brands recognize that younger audiences, particularly among students–are highly engaged online, making platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube more than ideal spaces for digital advertisement. Social media marketing has grown to be a very dominant force in shaping consumer behavior. Unlike traditional marketing, social media allows for advertisements to be included in content (videos and posts) seamlessly. Having influencers participate in trends, challenges, and interactive campaigns to capture and retain attention, allows for social media marketing to be so sought after and successful for advertisers. While yes this approach is effective and fosters engagement, it raises many ethical concerns about whether social media marketing manipulates students into excessive consumption and encourages impulsive decision-buying (and decision making). As the rise of social media marketing continues to grow, so does the problem of digital exploitation.
Students are the prime audiences of companies that invest in social media marketing, mainly because they represent one of the most valuable demographics. In more depth, they are natives amongst the digital world. Students spend time on social media platforms for entertainment, education, social connection, and shopping. While being a digital native isn’t limited to younger students, the majority of the older generations rely heavily on traditional forms of advertising methods–therefore students who on a daily basis interact with brands via influencers, meme culture, viral and relatable content, it’s a far better target demographic for social media advertisers. This creates an environment to the students where they don’t feel as they’re being advertised to because it feels more organic and at the end of the day is content, not a traditional form of advertising like a commercial.
Amongst a business standpoint, targeting students is a smart and strategic strategy. Individuals form brand preferences at this age range (of students), making independent purchasing choices, and getting products that showcase or align with their personal identity. Companies leverage this by building brand loyalty early on, which allows them to gain long-term customer loyalty and retention. While this is amazing for businesses, it begs the question if this form of advertising is carried out because they’re genuine engagement tools or an exploit of the impulsivity of younger customers.
Outside of authenticity in advertised influencer content, is the algorithm of social media platforms themselves that play a large role in shaping student purchasing decisions. These platforms track user interactions, preferences, behaviors, locations, etc in order to curate content feeds but alongside that, ads or content that is sponsored that align with the individual's interests. This then raises concern about manipulation, as the algorithm proves that there is a high level of personalization which enhances engagement but also pushes advertisements so well that the user might not even be conscious that they’re being advertised. An example of this is seen through TikTok shop or even Temu, where they run advertisements that create senses of urgency through limited-time promotions, fake cheap products, exclusive student discounts, spin to win (or save), and even influencer endorsements. These tactics utilize psychological triggers that encourage the user to fall into impulse spending. These marketing tactics towards students subtly guide users towards a desired action that the advertisers have created for them with cheap prices and a sense of urgency to gain value off of the deals. This surfaces an ethical concern in the fact that students who may be lacking financial experience or media literacy, are particularly vulnerable to these tactics. Unlike more traditional ads, which are more direct and in understanding that they’re being advertised, social media marketing integrates seamlessly into the content that is pushed out by influencers, which make it difficult for young consumers to distinguish between authentic and genuine recommendations from the content they consume vs. paid promotions.
Social media marketing influencers students’ perceptions of lifestyle, career, and identity. Many campaigns focus more on the aspirational messaging, utilizing influencers to promote a life that the audience may desire. To have a lifestyle and an identity that has freedom and nice material things, or even online influence. Many influencers and brands are sneaky by using vague and open to interpretation messaging, only disclosing necessary information under many paragraphs of captioning. This makes it very unclear whether the content is purely promotional vs. an authentic and genuine recommendation from the creator. This lack of transparency raises ethical concerns about whether the students are fully aware if they’re being marketed to.
This lack of transparency and sneaky messaging contributes to unhealthy spending habits, encouraging students to prioritize wants over needs with no sense of budgeting. Services like Klarna promote the idea of “buy now, pay later”, which further allows students with a lack of financial experience to fall deeper into the justification of impulse purchases, leading to an easier growth in their debt. There is a psychological impact that constantly allows students being exposed to a lifestyle that is unrealistic and oftentimes unattainable in a consumer-driven and showing-off culture, leading to anxiety, low self-esteem, and financial stress.
The FTC established guidelines in the past which required clear disclosing of sponsored content, however there’s too many grey areas where companies and influencers abuse (i.e. using vague language, and burying disclosing text in the caption). This makes it so that the students don’t know if they are being advertised to, especially since media literacy isn’t taught in schools.
Transparency remains to be a key factor in responsible digital marketing. Brands ought to recognize that though the FTC isn’t enforcing consistent checking and has many loopholes found in grey areas of their rulest, they should be prioritizing clear disclosures for sponsored content. This avoids deceptive tactics that pressures students into purchases. Social media platforms need to improve their pre-existing advertising labels to make it easier for the user to know that they’re being advertised to. This makes the thin line easier to distinguish from organic and authentic content vs. paid promoted content. Educational institutions need to have a hand in addressing this issue by integrating media literacy programs that help students critically evaluate digital advertising in social media platforms.
While social media marketing provides opportunities for brands to connect with students in more innovative and personalized ways, it comes at a cost where they exploit the lack of media literacy in students with financial manipulation, psychological tactics, and data privacy. If there is a boost in the strength of advertising transparency, having the FTC enforce more rules, and promote digital literacy can help ensure that social media remains a space for positive engagement instead of a platform where companies can profit from their manipulation of advertisements.
Timothy Chong, a student in Jon Pfeiffer’s media law class at Pepperdine University, wrote the above essay in response to the following prompt: “Social Media Marketing to Students: Manipulation or Engagement? Are social media marketing strategies targeting students fostering meaningful engagement or exploiting youthful vulnerability? Analyze the ethical and legal implications of such marketing efforts in light of student attitudes and behaviors.” Timothy is an Advertising major.
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