Exploring Emotional and Ethical Experiences of AI-Personalized Advertising Among Social Media Users

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed the landscape of digital marketing, particularly through the use of algorithmic personalization to deliver targeted advertisements on social media. While prior research has explored consumer responses to personalization, little is known about the emotional and ethical dimensions of how individuals experience AI-personalized advertising in their daily digital interactions. This study addresses that gap by asking: how do consumers interpret and emotionally respond to AI-personalized advertisements on social media platforms? Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), this research explores the subjective meanings embedded in these interactions. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with twelve active social media users aged 22 to 38, selected through purposive sampling. The analysis identified four core themes: feelings of being watched, emotional ambivalence toward relevance, ethical discomfort, and emergent digital intimacy. These themes reveal the duality of consumer experience marked by both appreciation and suspicion as individuals negotiate their relationships with invisible algorithmic agents. The findings offer a deeper understanding of how personalization is not just a technical process but a complex emotional and ethical encounter. This research contributes to the literature by expanding the conceptualization of AI-personalization as an affective phenomenon and highlights the need for more human-centered design and ethical consideration in digital advertising practices. Future research may extend these insights across different cultural or technological contexts to inform ethical innovation in AI marketing.