According to foreign reports, social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook overwhelmingly have a positive attitude towards e-cigarettes. This kind of messaging makes the use of e-cigarettes seem common and socially acceptable. However, this phenomenon can pose serious hazards to the health of adolescents.
In recent years, e-cigarettes have rapidly become popular around the world, especially among young people. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27.5 percent of U.S. high school students used e-cigarettes in 2019, an increase of 19.6 percentage points from 2011. E-cigarette use not only leads to nicotine addiction, but also exposure to other harmful substances, increasing the risk of lung disease and cardiovascular disease.
So why have e-cigarettes gained such widespread popularity among teens? Social media can be an important factor. An estimated 4 billion people worldwide use social media, with teenagers being the most active user group. Social media is not only a platform for young people to obtain information, exchange feelings, express themselves and seek identity, but also the main channel for e-cigarette companies and promoters to carry out marketing and publicity.
Some of the latest research shows that vaping ads and content on social media have a significant impact on vaping among teens. These ads and content often use various tactics and themes to attract the attention of teenagers, such as offering price discounts, displaying various flavors, emphasizing product characteristics, using words such as youth, freedom, nature and cool, and using the influence of celebrities or influencers power, building rapport and a sense of identity. These advertisements and content not only increase teenagers’ awareness and curiosity about e-cigarettes, but also reduce their risk perception and resistance to e-cigarettes.
At present, some countries such as the United States have implemented a certain degree of supervision on e-cigarettes, such as prohibiting sales to minors, restricting some flavors and product types, and requiring warnings to be marked on the packaging. However, on social media, e-cigarette advertisements and content are still difficult to control. Some e-cigarette brands and promoters continue to spread misleading or deceptive information about e-cigarettes to young people by taking advantage of the loopholes or circumvention methods of social media platforms.
Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the supervision of e-cigarette advertisements and content on social media to prevent them from causing greater harm to young people. At the same time, it is also necessary to strengthen the education and guidance of young people, improve their awareness of the dangers of e-cigarettes, and cultivate their ability to think critically and resist bad information.
ISK focus on Disposable Vapes with professional OEM/ODM, Branding Custom service.
