High school students’ perceptions of third-party tracking and personalization

Most teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 have used social media, which plays a significant role in their lives. As a result, almost all teenagers have been subjected to digital tracking. Tracking is prevalent in our everyday lives as large companies use it to monitor our searches to push forth propaganda, advertisements, and products. Tracking can take personal information from trusted users to promote customized advertisements that increase revenue for businesses. Though many studies have been conducted regarding adults, this work has failed to realize that many consumers are teenagers. Hence, in this study we expanded the data on third-party tracking by surveying high school students on the subject matter. We analyzed the data and made inferences to understand common problems in the online world. Our objective was to conduct a behavioral analysis using chi-square tests to assess the reliability of connections between high school students’ characteristics and their feelings on corporate tracking mechanisms. We concluded that high school students' feelings towards third-party tracking are influenced by social class, with individuals with higher social class exhibiting greater knowledge of tracking; and screen time, with students with higher screen times feeling more apprehensive about their data being stolen. Our research opens up conversations regarding online safety and minors and contributes to potential tailored privacy solutions, behavioral insights, and technology designs for the future.