Social Media and the New Peer Pressure to Vape

Zeptive
5 days ago
3 min read

Key Points:

Social media plays a major role in youth vaping trends.
Teens are influenced by what they see online, even if it’s not overt advertising.
Parents and schools can help students build media literacy and critical thinking.

Peer pressure isn’t just happening in hallways or on sports fields anymore - it’s happening in group chats, TikToks, and Snapchat stories. As vaping continues to trend among adolescents, the role of social media in amplifying this behavior is becoming harder to ignore.

According to the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey, more than 2.1 million middle and high school students in the U.S. currently use e-cigarettes. Many of them are exposed to pro-vaping content online that normalizes, and even glamorizes the behavior.

How Social Media Reinforces Vaping

Influencers and Viral Content: Popular creators post videos using vape devices or referencing vaping culture. These videos may not directly promote a brand, but they subtly reinforce that vaping is normal, trendy, or rebellious.
Targeted Advertising: Even with restrictions in place, some vaping companies continue to market their products through paid social media placements, using bright colors, youthful imagery, and slang that appeals to teens.
Peer Validation: When teens see friends or acquaintances vaping online, it lowers the perceived risk. Social media acts like a megaphone, what might be a small behavior among a few teens becomes exaggerated as it's shared and reposted.
Meme Culture and Humor: Many vaping references come packaged as jokes or memes, which can desensitize teens to the health risks. Laughing at vape-related content doesn’t make it safe, but it does make it stick.

Why This Matters

The more often teens see something, the more acceptable it becomes. In behavioral science, this is known as the “mere exposure effect.” Social media accelerates this effect, often before critical thinking skills are fully developed.

Studies have shown that youth who are regularly exposed to vaping content online are more likely to:

Try vaping
Perceive e-cigarettes as less harmful
Believe their peers vape more often than they actually do

These perceptions can shape real behavior, and lead to real harm.

Helping Teens Think Critically About What They See

Instead of banning apps or demanding phones, a more sustainable strategy is to teach media literacy and self-awareness:

Ask questions like:
- “What do you think that video is trying to say?”
- “Why do you think that post got so many likes?”
Point out strategies used in advertising, like colors, language, music, or influencers.
Encourage balance in social media use and time spent offline.
Discuss the difference between humor and harm. Memes might be funny, but they can also carry dangerous messages.

These small conversations build habits of critical thinking that last.

What Schools Can Do

Social media is the new peer pressure, and it’s just as powerful as in-person influence. By equipping teens with the tools to question what they see, and giving them spaces to talk about it without shame, adults can help them resist the urge to vape.

The Bottom Line

Vaping may feel like a private issue or a passing trend, but its ripple effects extend into classrooms, gradebooks, and futures. By understanding the connection between vaping and absenteeism, schools can take proactive steps to safeguard student health and academic success.

By The Zeptive Team

References:

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (2023). Youth and E-Cigarettes: The Role of Social Media Marketing. https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0394.pdf
Vogel EA, Ramo DE, Rubinstein ML, et al. (2020). Pro-vaping content on social media: an emerging challenge for health communication. J Adolesc Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.07.040
Byron MJ, et al. (2021). Understanding the Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Tobacco Use: Insights for Prevention Strategies. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntab100