Characterising JUUL-related Posts on Instagram.
Thursday, November 19, 2020
Posted by: Natalia Gromov
Czaplicki
L, Kostygina G, Kim Y, et al
Characterising
JUUL-related Posts on Instagram.
Tobacco Control 2020;29:612-617.
Background
JUUL, a high-tech, popular vaping device, was the first major electronic
cigarette (e-cigarette) brand to incorporate social media into its marketing
strategy. There is growing concern around the increasing use of JUUL and other
electronic nicotine delivery devices among youth, and their potential to addict
a new generation to nicotine. The current study analysed the amount and
characteristics of JUUL-related posts on Instagram, a social media platform
used frequently among youth and young adults.
Methods
Hashtag-based keyword queries (n=50) were used to collect JUUL-related posts
from the Instagram application programming interface, March 2018–May 2018.
Using a combination of machine learning methods, keyword algorithms and human
coding, posts were characterised as featuring content related to product
promotion, nicotine and addiction, youth culture and lifestyle.
Results
Keyword queries captured 14 838 JUUL-relevant posts by 5201 unique users. Over
one-third of posts were promotional (eg, linked to commercial website) and 11%
contained nicotine and addiction-related information. Approximately half of
posts featured content related to youth (55%) or lifestyle (57%). Youth-related
content or lifestyle appeals were also notably present within promotional posts
and nicotine and addiction-related posts, respectively. Nicotine and
addiction-related posts featured memes, hashtags (eg, #nichead, #juulbuzz) and
tag lines (eg, ‘more flavor, more buzz’).
Conclusions
Findings reveal a proliferation of JUUL-related content on Instagram, which
focused on product promotion and nicotine and addiction that included youth
culture and lifestyle appeals. Regulatory actions should focus on restricting
promotional efforts for e-cigarette products, particularly on social media
platforms where young people are a primary audience.
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