The People Most Likely To Block Ads, Why They Do It

Millennials, males, streamers, researchers and heavy downloaders are most likely to use an ad blocker, according to the latest media Dimension study from Kantar Media, a leading advertising measurement company. The study also shows that consumers don't necessarily hate advertising or think it's irrelevant, they just don't like excessive targeting.

Why it matters: Those who block ads (younger males) tend to mimic the general demographics for other new technologies, Kantar Media North America CEO Manish Bhatia says. Bhatia explains while consumers do prefer getting more relevant ads, they can feel overwhelmed when ads are served too frequently.

"There's lot of emphasis and focus on using data to hit the right consumer at right time," Bhatia says. "But you also need high quality, relevant creative to break through."

Here's the full demographic and behavioral breakdown of who blocks ads:

• Gender: Men are 28% more likely to have downloaded an ad-blocking app and 27% more likely to use an ad-blocking app, whereas women are 26% less likely to have downloaded an ad-blocking app and are 25% less likely to use an ad-blocking app.
• Age: Younger users are more likely than their elders to use an ad-blocker (shocking) and users ages 18-24 are 109% more likely to use an ad blocker than older generations. Adults age 65+, for example, are 53% less likely to use an ad blocker.
• Attitude: Those who use an ad blocker are 80% more likely to be less concerned about rules, and 27% more likely to be less concerned about perceptions and conventions.
• Internet Activity: Those who use an ad blocker are 134% more likely to be particularly social online, using the internet for email, instant messaging and social/professional networking. They're also 121% more likely to use the internet for conducting research, 145% more likely use the internet for entertainment and leisure, streaming music, podcasts or video content across devices and 173% more likely to download content from the internet, whether it be music, films, TV shows or games.