Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately impacts Black American communities, has resulted in increased media use, including social media, and increased exposure to advertising and influencer marketing among adolescents. The extent to which adolescents understand persuasion tactics including influencer marketing and develop coping skills such as skepticism is explored in this study. We also explore how parent mediation and media use are related to these forms of persuasion knowledge for an under-explored population in the U.S.: Black immigrant/refugee teens. Results of our survey of 89 adolescents revealed that media use (screen time) was positively related to persuasion knowledge. Restrictive mediation was related to (less) media use but not to persuasion knowledge. Chronic persuasion knowledge predicted understanding of influencer marketing and advertising skepticism. Implications for understanding relationships between media use, parent mediation, and persuasion knowledge are discussed.