Social Media, Gossip, and Decision-Making among Drug Users and Sellers

• In Event: Identity Work, Symbolic Meaning, and Decision-Making among Drug Users and Sellers

Abstract

The current study examines whether and how active drug sellers use gossip from social media platforms when making crime-related decisions. We explore this question using data collected from qualitative interviews with 20 active drug users and sellers from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Out findings demonstrate that these users and sellers’ decisions shape and are shaped by gossip with others and that occurring on social media platforms. We discuss implications for deterrence and neutralizations.

Authors

• Jalen Moreno, University of Alabama

• Timothy Dickinson, University of Alabama