The greater the number of college students receiving ads on their cell phones, the less the level of irritation with such ads, is the counterintuitive conclusion of a November Ball State University survey of college students reports MediaPost. Nearly one-third of respondents reported receiving ads on their mobile phones, up one-fourth in February, and about one-third of the recipients thought them annoying - down from February, when a whopping 92 percent thought so.

Though half of all students said they don't want ads on their cell phones, 29 percent said they could be persuaded to accept marketing in exchange for free ringtones, extra minutes, upgrades, or web access. A full two-thirds said cash could be convincing: 28 percent of that group would take $0.25; 60 percent want at least $1.00.

Some 96 percent of students own a cell phone, via which nearly 70 percent have internet access.