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International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2022
Vol. 8, Issue 01, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 136-143
Published Online May 2023 in IJEAST (http://www.ijeast.com)
136
IMPACT OF SENSITIVE ADVERTISEMENTS ON
TODAY’S YOUTH: A STUDY CONDUCTED ON
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF TEZPUR,
ASSAM
Dr. Sagar Onkarrao Manjare
Vice Chancellor,
Mahatma Gandhi University,
Byrnihat, Meghalaya, India
Ms. Manashi Medhi
Department of Management,
Mahatma Gandhi University,
Narengi, Guwahati, India
Abstract: The extensive use of Social Networking in India
has been on the rise among the new generation youths.
In today's world, life cannot be imagined without
Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
or Twitter accounts and online handles. The new age
social networking culture has been well accepted and has
met an enthusiastic response and acceptance. There are
reports of cultural changes and in the way traditional
interactions and social communications are conducted in
India. Research studies on this new age social media
impact and usage within India have been limited to
specific surveys and theories. The objectives of this study
is to make an attempt to investigate the impact of
sensitive advertisements on the Indian youth. The reason
for selecting youth as the target audience is because the
direction of a country and culture is decided by the
direction taken by youths of that country. This paper is
an attempt to analyse the pattern of social networking
usage and impact in order to determine the social
networking addiction. The scope of the research is
confined to Assam and few colleges of Assam have been
considered for sample collection.
Keywords: Social Networking, New generation, Cultural
change, Traditional interactions, social media
I. INTRODUCTION
The importance of advertising grows steadily as brands rely
heavily on media for various marketing objectives such as
increasing sales, creating knowledge and awareness in the
market etc. the field of advertising continues to grow and
evolve (Barve, Sood, Nithya & Virmani, 2015). According
to Susan Greenfield, an Oxford University researcher in her
article The Quest For Identity In The 21st Century, on Daily
Mail UK 14th September, 2010, as growing numbers of
people discover the potential of the World Wide Web and as
they become active parts of it and as technology becomes
even more advanced, expanded, accessible and
sophisticated, current forms of communication will
transform, taking advantage of the crowd sourcing
phenomenon.
With the fast development of the internet, the use of
interpersonal as well as computer‐mediated communication
has changed greatly (Chan & Fang, 2007). The speed of
Internet has changed the way people receive the
information. It combines the immediacy of broadcast with
the in-depth coverage of newspapers making it perfect
sources for news and weather information. Even with the
multimedia excitement of the web, electronic mail(email) is
the most frequently used application of the Internet. Many
people, who have access to the Internet at school, home and
at work place use the Internet for no other purpose than to
send and to receive the mail. It’s not just friends and co-
workers that are receiving email. Where very our look, the
web is providing email addresses. This has made
communication between the strangers easier than ever.
Advertising products customized with a world full of
beautiful people show in the real world while their children
are compared with the ideal world and conflict in the world
because they are unhappy (Asadollahi & Tanha, 2011). The
study has been undertaken with the objectives to find out the
allocation of use of social media use among the youths of
colleges, to find out the impact of sensitive advertisements
on youths and also based on the results too provide
suggestions for the marketers.
International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2022
Vol. 8, Issue 01, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 136-143
Published Online May 2023 in IJEAST (http://www.ijeast.com)
137
Antismoking television campaigns have emphasized diverse
themes to discourage smoking, including highlighting short-
and long-term health consequences, deglamorizing its social
appeal through humorous and unflattering portrayals, and
countering misperceptions that smoking is widespread
among teens (Farrelley, Davis, Haviland, Messeri &
Healton, 2005). The study reveals that alcoholic and nudity
appeals are often used in advertising. Both young men and
women are the primary focus and objects in advertisements,
with appeals that catch youths' attention in advertisements;
usually without much brand recognition (Dubihlela &
Dubihlela, 2011).
It is therefore the aim of this study to establish the impact
that these social media has on the young individual’s
behavioral change
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
Bashar and Ahmed (2014) in their paper titled
“Effectiveness of Social Media as a Marketing Tool: An
Empirical Study” did a study to examine the extent, social
media that helps consumers in buying decision making, to
study the gap between consumer expectation from social
media and its performance and to suggest strategies to
bridge the gap between expectation and performance to
improve its effectiveness.
Bajpai, Pandey and Shriwas (2012) in their joint paper titled
“Social Media Marketing: Strategies and Its Impact”,
conducted the study with the objective to Emphasize on the
strategies which can take this viral marketing mode beyond
the normal social media at present.
Abuhashesh (2014) in his research paper titled, “Integration
of Social Media in Business” was conducted with the
objective to study the impact of social media integration on
marketing, advertising, public relations and the customer
service, the advantages the social media integration process
can have on the company and the challenges.
Haiji (2013) in his paper titled “A study on Impact of Social
Media on Consumers” conducted the study with the
objective to answer the following research questions, “Do
Social media in social networking sites affect the user’s
trust?, “Do perceived usefulness (PU) and trust affect the
user’s intention to buy? And “Which factors (PU or trust)
are more important in determining the user’s intention to
buy?”
Chianasta and Wijaya (2014) in their research titled, “The
Impact of Marketing Promotion through Social Media on
people’s buying decision of Lenovo in Internet era: A
survey of Social Media Users in Indonesia” conducted their
study with the objective to identify and find out how is the
social media have impact on marketing promotion in
Indonesia.
Bhat (2018) in her study titled “Social Media Marketing as
A key to Social Change”, conducted the study the impact of
social change in the social media era and the growth of
social network in India.
Akram and Kumar (2017) in their research titled “A study
on Positive and Negative effects of Social Media on
Society”, carried out the study with the objective to find out
the positive and negative effects of social media on fields
like health, business, youth, education, and society.
Badawy and Hashem (2015) in their joint research tiltled,
“The impact of Social Media on Academic Development of
School Students”, carried out the study with the objective to
find out whether students’ academic performance is
impacted by social media or not.
Kolan and Dzandza (2018) in their paper titled, “Effect of
Social media on Academic performance of students in
Ghanian Universities: A case study of University of Ghana,
Legon”, carried out the research with the objective to
determine the level of exposure of students of University of
Ghana to social media sites, to ascertain what students of
University of Ghana use social media for and to ascertain
how the use of social media has influenced the work of
students of University of Ghana.
Shahjahan and Cisty (2014) in their research titled, “Social
media research and its effect on our society”, conducted the
study with the objective to discuss about the interactive
environment of social media, media choice and effects.
Kumari and Varma (2015) in their joint research on “Impact
of Social Networking Sites on Social Interaction – A study
of College Students”, conducted the study with the objective
to investigate the use of social networking sites by college
students, to find out the impact of use of SNS on social
relationship among college students and to find out the
impacts of social networking sites on adolescent with
respect to gender.
Research Gap
Many researches have been conducted at different places,
countries but no such research have been conducted on
Assam’s youth who have a different social loafing with
different cultural background. Assam is a place with a
unique culture with different cultural aspects among the
netizens. A huge difference in Assam’s youth and
international youths can be expected. With the objective to
study the impact of sensitive advertisements on social media
on Assam’s youth and their behaviour, this research has
been conducted.
Objectives of the study
The objectives of the study are:
1. To find out the allocation of use of social media use
among the youths of colleges.
2. To find out the impact of sensitive advertisements on
youths.
3. To provide suggestions for the marketers.
International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2022
Vol. 8, Issue 01, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 136-143
Published Online May 2023 in IJEAST (http://www.ijeast.com)
138
Scope and Limitations
The study is confined to the Tezpur, Assam. In Tezpur, we
have considered the general colleges. Also, the study is
limited to the student’s behaviour who uses social media.
Limitations can be in the form of less time for study.
Research Methodology
The most vital part of any research is the methodology
followed for conducting the research. Correct research
introduces the researcher to hidden facts and enlightens the
reality. But wrong research will make the entire effort go
haywire. The results will be misleading without any room
for post correction. Hence this part of the study should be
planned carefully and deliberately for a valid and reliable
research.
Research methodology is a process of collecting data by
conducting survey in order to take relevant business
decisions. For landing into any conclusion, proper research
is mandatory which assists in giving us reliable information
about facts and figures and thus making our decision more
valid and reliable.
Sampling Design
Defining population: The population considered for study
is the students of undergraduate students of general colleges
in Tezpur. Total population of undergraduate colleges
excluding higher secondary students
Table The total number of undergraduate students in the general colleges of Tezpur
Name of College
Total
undergraduate
students
Darrang College
5787
Tezpur College
2346
LGB College
875
Total population size
9008
Source: Field survey
Sample size: I am doing the survey with 95% level of
significance. Sample size has been calculated using the
following formula:
N
1+ N(e )2 (Taro Yamini Formula)
Where N= Total population, e = 0.05
Hence my sample size as per the formula is
9008
1+9008(0.05)2 = 383(approx)
Sampling Method: From each college sample selection is
done through random sampling method from their
attendance record. The selection of sample size from the
three colleges has been divided based on their student
weight age calculated as under:
Table showing the sample size calculation
Name of
College
Total
students
% on total
population
Sample
size
Darrang
College
5787
5787
9008 X 383
246
Tezpur College
2346
2346
9008 X 383
100
LGB College
875
875
9008 X 383
37
Source: Field study
International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2022
Vol. 8, Issue 01, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 136-143
Published Online May 2023 in IJEAST (http://www.ijeast.com)
139
Type of data: Primary data and Secondary data
Source of data: Primary data collected from undergraduate
colleges and secondary data collected from published
journals, WebPages, blogs, books, etc.
Research Instrument: Structured Questionnaire
Variables considered: The variables considered for
measuring the impact of sensitive advertisements are Very
Aggressive, Aggressive, Moderately Aggressive, Little
Aggressive, No Reaction.
Validity and Reliability:
To ensure the validity of the research findings, various
strategies were employed. The use of a well-designed
questionnaire and rigorous data collection process
contributed to the internal validity of the study.
Triangulation of data sources, including both quantitative
and qualitative data, enhanced the external validity and
generalizability of the findings. Additionally, researcher
reflexivity and peer debriefing were employed to address
potential biases and enhance the overall validity of the
study.
Case Processing Summary
N
%
Cases
Valid
393
100.0
Excludeda
0
.0
Total
393
100.0
a. Listwise deletion based on all variables in the procedure.
The table suggests that all 393 cases in the dataset were
valid and included in the analysis. No cases were excluded, indicating that there were no missing values or other criteria
for exclusion in the variables used in the analysis.
Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alphaa
N of Items
0.530
3
a. The value is negative due to a negative average covariance among items. This violates
reliability model assumptions. You may want to check item codings.
Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of 0.530 is relatively low and
suggests that the internal consistency of the measure may be
weak
All the samples were used for the study and none of the
questionnaire was incomplete.
Findings and Analysis
The first objective was to find out the allocation of use of
social media platform among the students. The results
discovered are as follows:
Table 1: Table showing the use of different types of social media by students
Type of Social-Media
Students
Male
Female
Total
Facebook
203
175
378
Instagram
144
210
354
YouTube
223
170
393
Whatsapp
178
207
385
Snapchat
102
108
210
Twitter
100
89
189
LinkedIn
79
49
128
International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2022
Vol. 8, Issue 01, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 136-143
Published Online May 2023 in IJEAST (http://www.ijeast.com)
140
1: Diagram showing the use of different types of social media by students
Source: Questionnaire
From the above table and graph it is clearly visible that the
most popular social media is YouTube, considering
Whatsapp in the second, Instagram in the third and
Facebook dropping to 4th position. Another observation
Whatsapp and Instagram is more popular amongst the
female youths in comparison to males.
Table 2: Table showing the different reasons behind using social media
Purpose of use
No. of respondents
% of respondents
To see and give updates
264
68.9%
To check advertisement pages
109
28.5%
To exchange information and news
213
55.6%
To do Chatting
220
57.4%
To play games
25
6.5%
To scroll memes
20
5.2%
Source: Questionnaire
Diagram 2: Diagram showing the different reasons behind using social media
Source: Questionnaire
203
144
223
178
102
100
79
175
210
170
207
108
89
49
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
YOUTUBE
WHATSAPP
SNAPCHAT
TWITTER
LINKEDIN
Types of Social Media used by
students
Male
Female
31%
13%
25%
26%
3%
2%
Reasons behind using social media
To see updates
Check advertisement pages
Exchange information and news
Chatting
Play games
Scroll memes
International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2022
Vol. 8, Issue 01, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 136-143
Published Online May 2023 in IJEAST (http://www.ijeast.com)
141
From the above diagram most of the youth’s hunt on social
media to check updates, then exchange information and
chatting.
The second objective was to find out the impact of
sensitive advertisement on youths’.
The results are enunciated as under:
For this analysis, the data was collected by proving the
students with a 5-point scale measuring their level of
reaction to a particular news. Few types of probable news
are considered as variables which are as under:
Hypothesis formulation:
Research question: Do sensitive advertisements over
social media have impact on the youths?
To answer this research question, the following hypothesis
has been formulated:
H01: There is no impact of sensitive advertisements over
social media on youths
H02: There is a considerable impact of sensitive
advertisements of social media on youths
Dependent Variable: Age-Group
Independent Variable: Sensitive Advertisements
For the testing and to prove the null hypothesis, chi-square
test is adopted.
The test is divided into three sections:
(i) Respondents profile
(ii) Chi-square test
(iii) Symmetric measures
Respondents Profile:
Chi-square test
Pearson Chi-Square: It evaluates the overall association
between the variables. The value of 27.307 suggests a
difference between the observed and expected frequencies,
indicating a significant association.
Likelihood Ratio: This test compares the fit of the observed
data to the fit of the null hypothesis. The value of 28.142
indicates a significant deviation from the null hypothesis.
Linear-by-Linear Association: This test examines the linear
trend in the association between two ordinal variables. The
value of 0.376 suggests a weak and non-significant linear
relationship between the variables.
Variables
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Gender
Male
153
38.9
38.9
Female
240
61.1
61.1
Age-Group
Age 17-19
118
30.0
30.0
Age 19-21
116
29.5
29.5
Age 21-23
112
28.5
28.5
Above 23
47
12.0
12.0
International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2022
Vol. 8, Issue 01, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 136-143
Published Online May 2023 in IJEAST (http://www.ijeast.com)
142
Symmetric measures
Pearson's R: It measures the strength and direction of a
linear relationship between two interval-level variables. The
value of 0.031 suggests a very weak positive linear
relationship between the variables.
Spearman Correlation: It assesses the monotonic
relationship (not necessarily linear) between two ordinal-
level variables. The value of 0.020 suggests a very weak
positive monotonic relationship between the variables.
As per the Chi-square test that has been done, it has been
found out that there is a strong relationship between youths
and sensitive advertisement. The sensitive advertisements
are having a profound impact on the youths. Hence as per
the test, the null hypothesis stands rejected and alternative
hypothesis is accepted.
H01 ≠ µ, H02= µ1
III. SUGGESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS
After doing the analysis, the following suggestions are
presented:
1. Social media can be a boon and a curse depending on
the users. Hence it is to advise the youths to take the
news positively and always come up with some
peaceful solutions instead of spreading negativity.
2. There must be a forum for youth guided by a life coach
activist who can divert the youths from getting into
wrongful directions on certain burning news.
3. Social networking needs to be used by youths who have
attained maturity in their thinking and have control on
their emotions.
4. It is advised to the older generations to guide their
juniors who are actively involved in social media and
provide them a better understanding on the positive
aspects of using social media.
5. Marketers are also advised to consider the sentiments or
emotions of people before creating any contents or
script. This requires evaluation by at least some
common people before landing up into
commercialization. Certain things are not acceptable in
our society because our society comprises of different
types of people. Every type of people has their liberty to
stay firm and live their life with confidence and dignity.
Advertisements creates an impression which can
mislead or misinterpret a particular type of people
which can hurt the sentiments of certain people. It is
advisable to re-check on the contents and filter out any
unacceptable scripts of dialogues. Marketers need to
understand the impact that one wrong message can lead
to.
IV. CONCLUSION
Conclusively we can say even creation of nuclear weapons
was for protection and security reasons of the nation. But if
it is used by wrong people then definitely nuclear weapon
can be considered as a curse. Similarly, social media has lot
of advantages and can be considered as a blessing if used by
the youths of our nation positively and for information
purpose. But it is highly recommended to have a strong
monitoring of certain practices which is spreading negativity
among the youths. The objective was to check on the impact
of sensitive advertisements on youth and after doing the test
it is found that there is a strong relationship between
sensitive advertisements and its impact on youth. Marketers
need to understanding the acceptable dimensions in a
society to create contents which are not leaving a negative
impact on the youths. Youths are the future of our nation.
Hence it is advisable to see our future by nurturing our
youths with good content rather than manipulating their
ideas towards negativity.
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Vol. 8, Issue 01, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 136-143
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