How vaping became fire: Snap streaks, social influencers and bubble gum

• In Event: 3267 - Section on Communication, Information Technologies, and Media Sociology Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 6. Technologies and the Everyday

Abstract

Smoking rates in the US have consistently declined over recent decades, with current trends showing some of the lowest documented initiation rates among teens. Social approval rates for smoking have also declined, the product of legal restrictions on use and advertising, as well as the impact of various public health campaigns. These social interventions and long term declines would seem to spell economic decline for the nicotine addiction industry. However, current survey data shows a sharp increase in e-cigarette use among adolescents contrasting with their abstention from traditional means of nicotine consumption. The sudden rise of vaping is concurrent with the cohort specific rates of regular snapchat use and therefor, exposure to undeclared advertising in social media platforms (astro-turf and paid social influencers). We investigate the role of social media, and especially snapchat in the social learning processes that shape young people's awareness of vaping, their attitudes, and behaviors. Through multiple regression and path analysis we hope to learn how demographic, use factors (flavors), media exposure and social influence combine to best explain the rapid rise of this new nicotine addiction pathway. Do the data show a moderating effect of vaping related snapchat communication among adolescents? What role does vaping related interaction on social media play in creating positive perceptions and making use more appealing, seemingly innocuous and a symbol of smartness among users? Additionally, we are concerned that highly differentiated social media use patterns across cohorts may be leading to social and cultural blind spots, that in turn, can be exploited by monetized manipulations of socially embedded perceptions. We conclude by considering policy implications, limitations of this study, and directions for future research.

Authors

• Mahbub Bhuyan, Ohio University

• Howard T. Welser, Ohio University