Exploring the Impact of Social Media on E-Cigarette Usage Among Adolescents: A Scoping Review

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Adolescent e-cigarette use is a global epidemic with significant public health concerns. Millions of adolescents worldwide use e-cigarettes, and social media is believed to be a contributing factor. This review summarizes research on social media’s influence on adolescent e-cigarette use. PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases were used for article searching. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed articles written in English that examined the impact of social media on adolescent e-cigarette use. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. The study followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines for scoping reviews. A total of 24 studies were reviewed, including 21 quantitative and 3 qualitative. Results were categorized into eight (8) themes: 1) frequency of social media use; 2) engagement with e-cigarette brand pages; 3) e-cigarette discussions; 4) frequency of exposure to e-cigarette content; 5) e-cigarette harm perception; 6) gateway to learning about e-cigarettes; 7) exposure to anti-e-cigarette use-related content; and 8) exposure to pro-e-cigarette use-related content. The findings suggest that exposure to e-cigarette content on social media impacts adolescent e-cigarette use, with social media use frequency being strongly associated. It shapes adolescents’ perceptions, beliefs, and intent to use e-cigarettes. Social media strongly impact adolescent e-cigarette use, normalizing and promoting it. E-cigarette marketing and user-generated content on social platforms make it appealing and seem harmless to adolescents. Policymakers, healthcare providers, and public health organizations need to address this issue.