Granted, I'm in 11th grade, but I and most others I know have a non-trivial amount of cash. (Though, since I have no income for 75% of the year, I try not to spend anything.)
Most people in my cohort aren't exactly destitute. Certainly, a business could make money selling to teenagers. They just couldn't achieve the volume that something like Facebook has.
Generally, people like free things and have a disregard for their privacy, (myself included) which is why ads are far more lucrative.
HOWEVER: This observation is not necessarily reflective of the generation at large, so I would take this with a grain of salt.
Most people in my cohort aren't exactly destitute. Certainly, a business could make money selling to teenagers. They just couldn't achieve the volume that something like Facebook has.
Generally, people like free things and have a disregard for their privacy, (myself included) which is why ads are far more lucrative.
HOWEVER: This observation is not necessarily reflective of the generation at large, so I would take this with a grain of salt.