Social Media Use and Exposure to E-cigarette Content: A Comparison of Lesbian or Gay, Bisexual, and Questioning and Heterosexual Male and Female Young Adults in California.

Résumé

INTRODUCTION: Given the rapidly changing media landscape and popularity of e-cigarettes among young adults who identify as lesbian or gay, bisexual, questioning, or something else (LGB+), timely data on media consumption and exposure to e-cigarette content across media channels is imperative for developing counter-messaging and public education campaigns for these individuals.AIMS AND METHODS: Using 2023 data from young adults in California, this study examined how social media use differed for heterosexual and LGB + young adults, by sex. Exposure to e-cigarette content across media channels was also compared between heterosexual and LGB + young adults, by sex.RESULTS: Findings from a non-probability representative sample of young adults in California showed that more LGB + young adults reported using Tumblr and fewer reported using Facebook and Snapchat, compared with heterosexual young adults, among both males and females. Use of Reddit was more common among LGB + versus heterosexual females, but there were no differences in sexual identity among males. Exposure to e-cigarette marketing was more common among LGB + females compared with heterosexual females, but this was not the case for males. Exposure to user-generated e-cigarette content, and self-reported visits to e-cigarette websites, were more common among LGB + females compared to heterosexual females.CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of treating LGB + individuals as a heterogeneous group. As such, anti-tobacco campaigns targeting LGB + individuals that leverage social media will want to consider which platforms are most used among their target audience to increase campaign reach.IMPLICATIONS: This study builds upon the literature by providing timely data on how LGB + young adults consume social media and are exposed to e-cigarette marketing. Findings have implications for tobacco education campaigns designed for LGB + individuals that leverage social media.