Topic Clustering of E-Cigarette Submissions Among Reddit Communities: A Network Perspective

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Media Analysis
• Digital Communication

Background:

• E-cigarette use has surged in the U.S., with social media potentially fueling this trend.
• Understanding online discourse is crucial for public health initiatives regarding vaping.
• Reddit hosts diverse communities discussing e-cigarettes and vaping.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore prevalent topics related to e-cigarettes and vaping on Reddit.
• To analyze how these topics are distributed across different Reddit communities.
• To investigate the role of social media in the diffusion of e-cigarette content.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 79,783 Reddit submissions mentioning e-cigarette or vaping keywords (March 2017-February 2018).
• Development of a dictionary to classify submissions into seven distinct e-cigarette/vaping topics.
• Categorization of submissions into six mutually exclusive communities using subreddit metadata.

Main Results:

• E-cigarette and vaping content on Reddit predominantly centers on the buying and selling of products.
• Other common topics include DIY vaping device construction, e-juice, and general advice.
• Significant variations in topic distribution were observed across general e-cigarette, drug-related, and research/news subreddits.

Conclusions:

• Social media platforms like Reddit are significant hubs for e-cigarette and vaping discussions, particularly for commerce.
• The clustering of topics differs across communities, indicating varied user interests and information diffusion patterns.
• This research contributes to understanding social media's influence on e-cigarette use and public health communication.