Web-based Advertisements and Behavioral Impacts on Adolescents: A review

Abstract

Adolescents and teens are vulnerable to behavioral impacts by unrestricted exposure to web-based advertisements. The behavioral impacts may be through addiction to drugs, tobacco products, alcohol and unrestricted consumerism, gambling, and unhealthy food habits. These behavioral impacts are severe and many of the popular remedial measures of parental regulation, and law reforms may not be effective. Comprehensive measures by way of regulations, law reforms, enforcement and education and improved awareness level among adolescence can only avoid the negative behavioral impacts of web-based advertisements among adolescents. The United States of America leads the research behavioral impacts of web-based advertisements among adolescents, with its dominance in document publication, and citations. The leading research affiliations and funding agencies are also from the United States of America. This review includes a bibliometric review and thematic analysis of the behavioral impacts of web-based advertisements among adolescents, based on Scopus publications since 2005. A limited set of documents and poor collaborations are the major limitations of the research related to the behavioral impacts of web-based advertisements among adolescents.