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"I'm committed, not addicted.": College students' identity and communication about vaping
Rachael Hernandez1,2, Yerina S Ranjit1, Chandrika Collins1
1Department of Communication, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
College students shape their identities through vaping communication, using humor and other tactics to avoid labels like "addicted." This study explores how social vaping behaviors influence self-perception and social interactions among young adults.
Area of Science:
- Communication Studies
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Vaping (electronic cigarettes) is a growing phenomenon among college students.
- Social vaping behaviors and their impact on identity are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how communication surrounding vaping influences college students' identities.
- To understand the social dynamics and identity construction related to vaping.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving five focus groups.
- 27 college students from a Midwestern university participated.
- Analysis interpreted through the communication theory of identity.
Main Results:
- Identity communication manifested in device personalization, relational selling, social addiction aspects, facetious language, and perceptions of vaping tricks.
- Students used humor, facetious language, othering, and reframing to manage identity.
Conclusions:
- College students navigate narrow perceptions of acceptable vaping identities.
- Discursive strategies are employed to construct desirable identities and avoid negative labels like "addicted."
- Communication plays a crucial role in shaping vaping identity among college students.
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