How Smoking Advocates are Connected Online: An Examination of Online Social Relationships Supporting Smoking Behaviors

Abstract

Social media platforms can facilitate online relationship formation among people who engage in risky health behavior such as smoking or unprotected sex. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of how individuals who promote risky health behavior are connected with similar others on social media. Focusing on smoking behavior, this study investigates the theoretical mechanisms that drive social connections among pro-smoking users, and examines an empirical instance of one such network structure on Twitter. Consistent with the social identity framework, the study finds that pro-smoking networks manifest higher stance homophily (pro-smoking vs. anti-smoking) and higher network cohesion than anti-smoking networks. Different from the hypothesis, however, the result shows lower network exclusivity than anti-smoking networks. Most pro-smoking users who had social ties with anti-smoking users were found to be individuals rather than pressure groups or organizations. Bridging users on both sides tended to be linked to pressure groups. This paper concluded with discussion of implications of the current findings.