IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v12y2015i11p14916-14935d59199.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An Examination of Electronic Cigarette Content on Social Media: Analysis of E-Cigarette Flavor Content on Reddit

Author

Listed:
  • Lei Wang

    (College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China)

  • Yongcheng Zhan

    (Department of Management Information Systems, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA)

  • Qiudan Li

    (The State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China)

  • Daniel D. Zeng

    (Department of Management Information Systems, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
    The State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China)

  • Scott J. Leischow

    (Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA)

  • Janet Okamoto

    (Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA)

Abstract

In recent years, the emerging electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) marketplace has shown great development prospects all over the world. Reddit, one of the most popular forums in the world, has a very large user group and thus great influence. This study aims to gain a systematic understanding of e-cigarette flavors based on data collected from Reddit. Flavor popularity, mixing, characteristics, trends, and brands are analyzed. Fruit flavors were mentioned the most ( n = 15,720) among all the posts and were among the most popular flavors ( n = 2902) used in mixed blends. Strawberry and vanilla flavors were the most popular for e-juice mixing. The number of posts discussing e-cigarette flavors has increased sharply since 2014. Mt. Baker Vapor and Hangen were the most popular brands discussed among users. Information posted on Reddit about e-cigarette flavors reflected consumers’ interest in a variety of flavors. Our findings suggest that Reddit could be used for data mining and analysis of e-cigarette-related content. Understanding how e-cigarette consumers’ view and utilize flavors within their vaping experience and how producers and marketers use social media to promote flavors and sell products could provide valuable information for regulatory decision-makers.

Suggested Citation

  • Lei Wang & Yongcheng Zhan & Qiudan Li & Daniel D. Zeng & Scott J. Leischow & Janet Okamoto, 2015. "An Examination of Electronic Cigarette Content on Social Media: Analysis of E-Cigarette Flavor Content on Reddit," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-20, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:12:y:2015:i:11:p:14916-14935:d:59199
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/12/11/14916/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/12/11/14916/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Konstantinos E. Farsalinos & Giorgio Romagna & Dimitris Tsiapras & Stamatis Kyrzopoulos & Alketa Spyrou & Vassilis Voudris, 2013. "Impact of Flavour Variability on Electronic Cigarette Use Experience: An Internet Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Choi, K. & Fabian, L. & Mottey, N. & Corbett, A. & Forster, J., 2012. "Young adults' favorable perceptions of snus, dissolvable tobacco products, and electronic cigarettes: Findings from a focus group study," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(11), pages 2088-2093.
    3. Cheney, M. & Gowin, M. & Wann, T.F., 2015. "Marketing practices of vapor store owners," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 105(6), pages 16-21.
    4. Pearson, J.L. & Richardson, A. & Niaura, R.S. & Vallone, D.M. & Abrams, D.B., 2012. "E-cigarette awareness, use, and harm perceptions in US adults," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(9), pages 1758-1766.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Nathan Silver & Padmini Kucherlapaty & Ganna Kostygina & Hy Tran & Miao Feng & Sherry Emery & Barbara Schillo, 2022. "Discussions of Flavored ENDS Sales Restrictions: Themes Related to Circumventing Policies on Reddit," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-9, June.
    2. Geissinger, Andrea & Laurell, Christofer & Öberg, Christina & Sandström, Christian, 2023. "Social media analytics for innovation management research: A systematic literature review and future research agenda," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    3. Ratika Sharma & Britta Wigginton & Carla Meurk & Pauline Ford & Coral E. Gartner, 2016. "Motivations and Limitations Associated with Vaping among People with Mental Illness: A Qualitative Analysis of Reddit Discussions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.
    4. Yulin Hswen & Elad Yom-Tov, 2021. "Analysis of a Vaping-Associated Lung Injury Outbreak through Participatory Surveillance and Archival Internet Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-17, August.
    5. Shaoying Ma & Zefeng Qiu & Qian Yang & John F. P. Bridges & Jian Chen & Ce Shang, 2022. "Expanding the E-Liquid Flavor Wheel: Classification of Emerging E-Liquid Flavors in Online Vape Shops," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-14, October.
    6. Sara K. Berkelhamer & Justin M. Helman & Sylvia F. Gugino & Noel J. Leigh & Satyan Lakshminrusimha & Maciej L. Goniewicz, 2019. "In Vitro Consequences of Electronic-Cigarette Flavoring Exposure on the Immature Lung," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-15, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jennifer C. Morgan & Joseph N. Cappella, 2021. "Harm Perceptions and Beliefs about Potential Modified Risk Tobacco Products," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-18, January.
    2. Bell, Kirsten & Keane, Helen, 2014. "All gates lead to smoking: The ‘gateway theory’, e-cigarettes and the remaking of nicotine," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 45-52.
    3. Konstantinos E. Farsalinos & I. Gene Gillman & Matt S. Melvin & Amelia R. Paolantonio & Wendy J. Gardow & Kathy E. Humphries & Sherri E. Brown & Konstantinos Poulas & Vassilis Voudris, 2015. "Nicotine Levels and Presence of Selected Tobacco-Derived Toxins in Tobacco Flavoured Electronic Cigarette Refill Liquids," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-14, March.
    4. Jessica K. Pepper & Kurt M. Ribisl & Sherry L. Emery & Noel T. Brewer, 2014. "Reasons for Starting and Stopping Electronic Cigarette Use," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-17, October.
    5. Elle Wadsworth & Joanne Neale & Ann McNeill & Sara C. Hitchman, 2016. "How and Why Do Smokers Start Using E-Cigarettes? Qualitative Study of Vapers in London, UK," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-13, June.
    6. Andy S. L. Tan & Susan Mello & Ashley Sanders‐Jackson & Cabral A. Bigman, 2017. "Knowledge about Chemicals in e‐Cigarette Secondhand Vapor and Perceived Harms of Exposure among a National Sample of U.S. Adults," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(6), pages 1170-1180, June.
    7. Rahi Abouk & Scott Adams & Bo Feng & Johanna Catherine Maclean & Michael F. Pesko, 2019. "The Effect of E-Cigarette Taxes on Pre-pregnancy and Prenatal Smoking," NBER Working Papers 26126, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Youngs Chang & Sanghyun Cho & Ikhan Kim & Young-Ho Khang, 2019. "Socioeconomic Inequalities in e-Cigarette Use in Korea: Comparison with Inequalities in Conventional Cigarette Use Using Two National Surveys," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-15, November.
    9. Michael Briganti & Cristine D. Delnevo & Leanne Brown & Shirin E. Hastings & Michael B. Steinberg, 2019. "Bibliometric Analysis of Electronic Cigarette Publications: 2003–2018," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-10, January.
    10. Sarah D. Kowitt & Clare Meernik & Hannah M. Baker & Amira Osman & Li-Ling Huang & Adam O. Goldstein, 2017. "Perceptions and Experiences with Flavored Non-Menthol Tobacco Products: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-18, March.
    11. Clare Meernik & Hannah M. Baker & Karina Paci & Isaiah Fischer-Brown & Daniel Dunlap & Adam O. Goldstein, 2015. "Electronic Cigarettes on Hospital Campuses," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    12. Jingfen Zhu & Fanghui Shi & Gang Xu & Na Li & Jiahui Li & Yaping He & Jinming Yu, 2019. "Conventional Cigarette and E-Cigarette Smoking among School Personnel in Shanghai, China: Prevalence and Determinants," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-13, September.
    13. Dorota Kaleta & Mirosław Niedzin & Agnieszka Jankowska & Kinga Polańska, 2019. "Predictors of E-Cigarette Use Susceptibility—A Study of Young People from a Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Rural Area in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-11, October.
    14. Eboneé N. Butler & Marissa G. Hall & May S. Chen & Jessica K. Pepper & Hart Blanton & Noel T. Brewer, 2020. "The Prototypes of Tobacco Users Scale (POTUS) for Cigarette Smoking and E-Cigarette Use: Development and Validation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-12, August.
    15. Sheila Yu & Patricia Escobedo & Robert Garcia & Tess Boley Cruz & Jennifer B. Unger & Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati & Leah Meza & Steve Sussman, 2018. "A Descriptive Longitudinal Study of Changes in Vape Shop Characteristics and Store Policies in Anticipation of the 2016 FDA Regulations of Tobacco Products, Including E-Cigarettes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-13, February.
    16. Allison Lee & Angela A. Chang & Joanne Chen Lyu & Pamela M. Ling & Stephanie L. Hsia, 2022. "Characterizing Participant Perceptions about Smoking-Cessation Pharmacotherapy and E-Cigarettes from Facebook Smoking-Cessation Support Groups," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-12, June.
    17. Cosima Hoetger & Rose S. Bono & Nicole E. Nicksic & Andrew J. Barnes & Caroline O. Cobb, 2019. "Influence of Electronic Cigarette Characteristics on Susceptibility, Perceptions, and Abuse Liability Indices among Combustible Tobacco Cigarette Smokers and Non-Smokers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-15, May.
    18. Zongshuan Duan & Katelyn F. Romm & Lisa Henriksen & Nina C. Schleicher & Trent O. Johnson & Theodore L. Wagener & Steven Y. Sussman & Barbara A. Schillo & Jidong Huang & Carla J. Berg, 2022. "The Impact of Recent Tobacco Regulations and COVID-19 Restrictions and Implications for Future E-Cigarette Retail: Perspectives from Vape and Vape-and-Smoke Shop Merchants," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-15, March.
    19. Denis Male & Shirley Kansabe & Hafsa Lukwata & Alexander Rubanga & Kamran Siddiqi & Linda Bauld & Ann McNeill & Fiona Dobbie, 2022. "Smokeless Tobacco in Uganda: Perceptions among Tobacco Control Stakeholders," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-10, March.
    20. Kim A. G. J. Romijnders & Liesbeth Van Osch & Hein De Vries & Reinskje Talhout, 2018. "Perceptions and Reasons Regarding E-Cigarette Use among Users and Non-Users: A Narrative Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-19, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:12:y:2015:i:11:p:14916-14935:d:59199. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.