The influence of internet advertising on the consumer behavior of the student youth in Barnaul

The subject of the study is the impact of online advertising on the consumer behavior of student youth in Barnaul. The object comprises university and college students as a socio-demographic group. The author examines the structure of media consumption, the level of trust in advertising channels, and the factors influencing consumer choice. Special attention is given to the contradiction between recognizing advertising as a useful source of information and the growing skepticism towards intrusive forms of digital marketing. It analyzes how budget limitations and employment instability shape the demand for advertisements that appeal to the functional characteristics of products rather than to status incentives. The gender aspect of perception and the differences in information assessment between university and college students are explored. The thesis is revealed that students develop defensive behavioral filters that block manipulative influences. The research methodology is based on a quantitative data collection method – a survey. The sample consisted of 278 respondents, formed through spontaneous selection. The results obtained are exploratory in nature and reflect the general trends in the perception of internet advertising by student youth. The novelty of the research lies in identifying a shift in the consumer logic of student youth from an emotional-image perception of advertising to a rational-pragmatic one. It was found that the dominant channel is the internet, with the leading platform being the social network VKontakte. The main drivers of attention are indications of genuine need for the product and its qualitative characteristics, while the involvement of celebrities and bright design play a secondary role. A significant contribution of the author is the justification that price and quality remain unconditional priorities, overshadowing fashion and peer advice. The main conclusions of the study indicate the internal ambivalence of the audience: on one hand, advertising is recognized as a stimulus for purchases, while on the other, it is perceived as an imposition of unnecessary goods. It is concluded that aggressive and manipulative tactics are ineffective with the digital generation, necessitating a shift in the vector of marketing communication towards informational honesty, precise argumentation, and functional usefulness. Direct persuasion tools give way to strategies that accompany already recognized demands.