The article presents research on Internet advertising, which examines consumer attitudes towards advertising presented on social media by users of those media. It is posited that advertising presented on online social networks can be effective, but that a perception of excessive commercial exploitation of a social network can lead its members to abandon it. A mathematical model of consumer attitudes towards advertising on social media is created based on media use and gratification theory and tested. It was found that consumers reacted most favorably to advertising which was perceived as offering entertainment or information value.