Is Tiktok reinforcing a positive attitude towards vaping and e-cigarette usage?
That’s according to the University of Queensland’s National Centre of Youth Substance Use Research, who have analysed the portrayal of vaping and e-cigarette usage on Tiktok videos.
In 808 videos done in the sample, positive portrayals of e-cigarette use were viewed over one billion times, making up to 63 percent of the total sample.
This is a cause of concern according to the UQ researchers, as there has been increasing evidence that suggests vaping has detrimental effects on the developing heart, lungs and brain.
They further advise effective age restrictions on social media platforms would reduce young people’s exposure to portrayals.