Online health information searching and health advertisement exposure among Black young adult social media users

Abstract

Black young adults go online frequently and comprise a large proportion of digital consumers, with implications for their health. Yet their engagement with online health information and advertising is not well understood. In this descriptive mixed-methods study, Black young adults from the United States (N = 179; mean age = 23.27) completed an online survey (February to March 2022). They reported searching for health information and seeing health-related advertisements online via closed- and open-ended questions. Participants searched using multiple sources, including video-based social media platforms. Over 85% of participants saw health-related advertisements weekly, and one-third daily. Over half reported that these advertisements were targeted, yet over 60% did not frequently purchase or share them. Black young adult social media users use video-based social media platforms, where content may not be accurate or regulated. They see advertisements frequently but rarely engage, perhaps due to their digital skills or the abundance of competing content.