Social Media Electronic Cigarettes Engaging the New Generations

Social Media, Electronic Cigarettes, & Engaging the New Generation(s): Exploring the topic of social media, electronic cigarettes, and the new generation(s)’ role in the fight against tobacco.

Disclaimer. . . ❏ The concept of “generation” is fundamentally flawed. ❏ Impossible to homogenize or “average” an entire population. ❏ Marginalized people are usually erased.

Clarifications. . . ❏ New Generation(s): ➔ Ages 12 -22. ➔ Teen & preteen Gen Z ➔ Millennials in early 20 s. ❏ Tobacco Industry & Affiliates: ➔ Manufacturers. ➔ Distributors. ➔ Sellers. ➔ Promoters.

Let’s Talk About Social Media! ❏ What do we use it for?

Let’s Talk About Social Media! ❏ What do we use it for? ➔ Communication. ➔ Organizing. ➔ Business. ➔ Keeping in touch with loved ones.

The Significance of Social Media ❏ Builds communities. ❏ Facilitates culture. ❏ Acts as an extension of in-person groups. ❏ Online friends are REAL friends.

Whether good or bad, social media is here to stay.

Social Media & Youth Psychosocial Development:

❏Think back to when you were in middle/high school (ages 12 -18) … ❏How would you describe yourself? Prioritizes, aspirations, fears?

“Two of the key tasks in adolescence are “to stand out—to develop an identity and pursue autonomy… and to fit in—to find comfortable affiliations and gain acceptance from peers…”

“Adolescence is a time of struggle to find a balance between autonomy and connectedness. ”

❏This is perfectly normal!

❏ How does the internet complication this?

The Internet and Social Media Allows People to…. ❏ Try on different identities(usually anonymously). ❏ Connect and disconnect at will. ❏ Balance between autonomy and connectedness.

On the Internet. . . ❏Information travels FAST. ❏TRENDS travel fast. ❏Trends also die out fast. ❏Meme, upgrade, and viral culture!

“The internet is the biggest baby sitter right now. ”

Remember the Tide Pod Challenge. . .

Now it’s the Condom Snorting Challenge. . .

The internet is a WILDFIRE of STIMULATION & MOVEMENT on a global scale.

Social Media & Electronic Cigarettes, & Youth- The New Frontier:

Let’s Talk about Research. . . ❏ Popular social media platforms: ➔ Instagram. ➔ You. Tube. ➔ Twitter. ❏ Contain content which overwhelmingly normalizes/glamorizes e-cigs.

One Thing That Hasn’t Changed. . . ❏ The tobacco industry is still using flavors (e-cig juice) to attract youth: ➔ Many of these flavors target ethnic identities of of POC youth. ➔ Appropriates beloved cultural symbols for profit.

What Are These?

What Are These?

Youth/Young Adults’ Perspective on E-cigs. . . ❏Many believe e-cigs are safe/healthier alternatives. ❏Youth do not associate e-cigs with cigarettes. ❏Rather, youth see e-cigs as novel devices.

“. . . young adults, steeped in a culture of personal technologies, perceived ecigarettes as one more ‘toy’ among other technologies integrated into their everyday lives. ”

What Are These?

Why is Social Media such an attractive platform for the tobacco industry? ❏ Relaxed age restrictions (or easily bypassed). ❏ Audience interaction and user generated content: ➔ Likes/Comments ➔ Participatory culture ➔ The “Yelp Effect”

Summary ❏E-cigarettes(the devices) capitalize off youth affinity for: ➔Flavors. ➔Novel technology. ➔Personal technology. ➔Sustainable technology.

Summary ❏ Tobacco industry capitalizes of social media’s: ➔ Ability to form tangible communities and relationships. ➔ Customer’s networks. ➔ Speed of connectivity. ➔ Audience interaction.

Working With Youth Where They Are:

Observations. . . ❏Gen Z & Young Millenials are: ➔Tech-savy. ➔Philanthropic. ➔Ambitious. ➔Open minded. ➔QUEER FRIENDLY.

Observations. . . ❏Gen Z & Young Millenials are: ➔Smart. ➔Skeptical. ➔Critical. ➔ Rejecting labels/binaries.

Observations. . . ❏ Young People Are: ➔ Challenging the status quo. ➔ Have an INSTINCT for social injustice. ➔ Speaking out in their own creative way.

Young People are AMAZING & CHANGING THE WORLD!

Young People Are Also Still Young People. . . ❏ Especially if they are still adolescence stages. . . ❏ Their most pressing concern is searching for identities and communities.

Suggestions for Engaging Youth of the New Generation(s). . . ❏ Youth don’t associate ecigarettes with the cigarettes of their parent’s generation: ➔ E-cigarettes might not trigger the same visceral fear of nicotine addiction as it would for older people.

Suggestions for Engaging Youth of the New Generation(s). . . ❏ Have statistics, studies, links to said studies, and facts on hand: ➔ Prepare to defend your stance if challenged! ❏ Review how to learn and not what to learn: ➔ Credible source? ➔ #Fake. News?

Suggestions for Engaging Youth of the New Generation(s). . . ❏ Young people are healthy and full of energy: ➔ Bodily deterioration is a distant concept. ➔ Young masculine identifying individuals tend to forget that they aren’t invincible.

Suggestions for Engaging Youth of the New Generation(s). . . ❏ Its is important to remind youth: ➔ Trends come and go but addiction can last for life.

Conclusion:

Electronic Cigarettes will be the New Generation(s)’ Fight…. ❏ This fight will happen over the internet. ❏ We can act as: ➔ Mentors. ➔ Coaches. ➔ Provide models. ➔ Examples. ➔ History lessons.

But Ultimately. . . ❏ Youth are the experts and will be the ones to lead this fight.

It is Important to. . . ❏ View youth/young adults as EQUALS and treat them with EQUITY: ➔ As people who are valuable additions to a team/movement. ➔ Not just support or auxillary. ➔ While still keeping mind to work with them where they are.

In our fight to protect youth from tobacco, it is important to not marginalize the very youth we share this movement with.

“The new generation is always destined to surpass the old. ”

Discussion Options! Option #1: ❏ Free for all question time: ➔ On content from both presentations. ➔ Good for burning inquires or general confusion!

Discussion Options! Option #2: ❏ Turn to the person next to you and discuss: ➔ Your thoughts about each presentation. ➔ What tobacco industry pricing schemes have you noticed in your community? What can you do about it? ➔ How can you as an individual, or how can your organization better engage youth?