Beyond Luck: Social Media's Role In Shaping Gambling Perceptions In The United States And China

• In Event: Online Discourse, Technology, and Public Understandings of Criminality

Abstract

The relationship between the crime portrayal on social media and public perception of crime, especially among the youth, is both critical and under-investigated. Though a social media explosion is only a recent phenomenon, studies have found that social media impacts various deviant behaviors as well as gambling. Using a video content analysis of 1,000 trending TikTok videos in the United States and China, examining video imagery, depicted actions, and accompanying textual content, this study dissects the gambling as portrayed on social media and analyses public attitudes towards gambling. By analyzing the social media-driven narratives, the study further reveals the mechanisms through which social media contributes to destigmatizing, normalizing and popularizing gambling while the legislation and policies remain unchanged. Furthermore, by highlighting the commonalities and disparities in the gambling portrayal across culturally and legally different countries, this study sheds light on how social media serves as a dynamic medium for framing public perception of gambling, thereby providing a foundational step towards understanding the internationally digital construction of crime and deviant behaviors. The findings also offer insights for prevention policy and treatment approaches to enhance public awareness of problem gambling.

Authors

• Qingyang Hong, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Chenghui Zhang, University of Nevada, Las Vegas