How Social Media Influences Tobacco Use Among Teens

Did you know that just an hour a day on social media could double your child's chance of picking up a smoking or vaping habit? This startling fact is supported by a new research study published in the Thorax Journal. Here's a closer look at what the researchers found.

Teens and Social Media Usage

This comprehensive study conducted by Imperial College London, which surveyed over 10,000 British adolescents aged 10 to 25, found that:

• Teens who spend an hour a day on social media are twice as likely to start smoking or try e-cigarettes than those who are not into social media.

• Those who spend even less than an hour daily on social media platforms are 92% more likely to smoke compared to their peers who do not use social media at all.

• Adolescents using social media for one to three hours a day are 92% more likely to use e-cigarettes than those who don't use social platform.

More Exposure and More Risks

• Young people spending more than seven hours a day on social media are 2.73 times more likely to start using e-cigarettes and 3.6 times more likely to smoke compared to those who barely use social media.

• The proportion of those using both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes has increased 5 times among heavy social media users spending more than seven hours a day.

Despite bans on direct tobacco advertising targeted at adolescents, social media platforms have inadvertently become powerful channels influencing young people towards smoking. Dr. Nick Hopkinson, the lead author of the paper, points out two main reasons for this - the impact of paid placements and other ways of influencing people on social platforms, and the algorithms used by the platforms themselves, which drive this paid content to the top of teens’ social media feeds.

Dr. Nick Hopkinson shows that there is evidence indicating e-cigarette companies are actively recruiting celebrities and users to promote their products through social media. Social media content creators can generally be divided into two categories - "Influencers," who are individuals with a large follower base who are paid to promote products online, and "Ordinary people," who may endorse a product or brand without any formal endorsement or monetary compensation from the companies.

Influencers are surprisingly effective. A study published in the Journal of Health Psychology clearly indicates that celebrity endorsers significantly increase positive attitudes towards e-cigarettes and smoking intentions compared to non-celebrities. Celebrities also score higher in credibility, expertise, goodwill, and attractiveness compared to non-celebrities.

Algorithms have become a marketing tool. “Social media platforms control what users see through sophisticated algorithms. These algorithms optimize user engagement through targeted advertising and promotional content, thereby boosting platform revenue.” Dr. Grace C. Huang suggested in an article published in Journal of Adolescent Health. Dr. Marissa J. Smith of the University of Glasgow said social media taps into deep insights into user behavior, precisely targeting specific demographic groups and tracking interactions with content in real time, making it a highly effective marketing tool.

The correlation between social media and increased smoking and vaping habits among adolescents is undeniable and presents a challenge to those of us involved in tobacco control. The big platforms are allowing the industry to circumvent control measures designed to protect young people. They are directly facilitating long term damage to health of their adolescent users and exacting avoidable costs on society at large. This needs to change.

References

"One hour on social media a day doubles child smoking, vaping," The Telegraph, May 16, 2024. Retrieved from: Read the article here

Hopkinson, N. S., Vrinten, C., Parnham, J. C., Radó, M. K., Filippidis, F., Vamos, E. P., & Laverty, A. A. (2024). Association of time spent on social media with youth cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use in the UK: a national longitudinal study. Thorax, thorax-2023-220569.

Huang, G. C., Unger, J. B., Soto, D., Fujimoto, K., Pentz, M. A., Jordan-Marsh, M., & Valente, T. W. (2014). Peer influences: the impact of online and offline friendship networks on adolescent smoking and alcohol use. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 54(5), 508–514.

Lavoie, K. L. (2024). Strengthening the evidence base to support stronger regulation of social media based advertising of e-cigarette products to youth. Thorax.

Phua, J., Jin, S. V., & Hahm, J. M. (2018). Celebrity-endorsed e-cigarette brand Instagram advertisements: Effects on young adults' attitudes towards e-cigarettes and smoking intentions. Journal of health psychology, 23(4), 550–560.

Smith, M. J., Buckton, C., Patterson, C., & Hilton, S. (2023). User-generated content and influencer marketing involving e-cigarettes on social media: a scoping review and content analysis of YouTube and Instagram. BMC public health, 23(1), 530.