JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been widely promoted on the internet, and subsequently, social media platforms have been used as an important informative medium by the users. Likewise, reasons to initiate, switch to and from conventional smoking to e-cigarette smoking, and to like and dislike e-cigarette have been largely influenced by the belief and knowledge displayed on the social media. However, there is a gap in the knowledge on people’s perception, attitudes, and sentiments about e-cigarettes depicted on social media and the sources of information they exchange.

Objective:

To explore peoples’ perceptions about e-cigarette on the internet and social media whether they portray benefits or harmfulness of e-cigarette use, and to examine the kind of information that people share and obtain about the e-cigarette on social media.

Methods:

Searches in major electronic databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE and Web of Science were conducted using search terms: “electronic cigarette,” “electronic vaporizer,” “electronic nicotine,” and “electronic nicotine delivery systems,” combined with “internet,” “social media,” and “internet use”. The studies were selected if they examined participants’ perception and sentiments of e-cigarettes on the internet forums or social media websites within the last 10 years (2007-2017).

Results:

Fifteen articles were included. Nine social media platforms: Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, online discussion boards such as JuiceDB, and forums (Vapor Talks, Hookah forum, Electronic cigarette forum, Vapors forum, GLOBALink) were identified in qualitative (n=5), quantitative (n=4), and mixed-methods (n=6) studies. Real-time snapshot and characteristics of sentiments, personal experience, and perceptions toward e-cigarettes on internet were identified. Common topics regarding e-cigarettes included positive and negative health effects and appeals reported by current users, potential risks, benefits, regulations associated with e-cigarettes, and attitudes toward them as smoking cessation aids.

Conclusions:

Although mixed perceptions among the social media users were depicted, there were more volume of pro e-cigarette tweets and threads than anti-use. This study significantly adds to our understanding of current trend in the popularity and attitude towards e-cigarettes among social media users. It also suggests that social media has the potential to screen, prevent, and disseminate health promotional information and prevention interventions for the public’s well-being. Future research should focus on the efficacy of health focus e-campaigns or link on social media that delivers appropriate information about the facts, harms and benefits of e-cigarette.