The Influence of Social Media on Teen Drug Use

As if it is not scary enough to see most teenagers gravitating towards drugs usage and substance abuse, Social Media has now emerged to be a handy platform for the availability of drugs for teenagers. Research has it that social media is repeatedly being used by teenagers to buy drugs. Instagram reported to a become a sizable open marketplace for marketing illegal drugs.

What is the role of social media is teenager’s drug addiction?

• Illegal drugs are sold on social media by posting the pictures of the drugs along with hashtags, emoticons, price and captions via encrypted apps such as WhatsApp, KIK etc. These drugs once booked are generally sent via courier services like FedEx. Direct dealer contact is often avoided given the risks involved.
• Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook Twitter, Kik Messenger, WhatsApp, Wickr and Whisper include the list of the chats that have been in trouble for trading illegal drugs online.
• Hashtags to lookout for: #OXY, #adderal, #oxycontin, #painrelief, #fentanyl, #Cocaine, #percocet, #xansforsale are few examples.

What do parents need to know?

• The social media engineers have been successful in manipulating and cashing in on the general curiosity of us human beings, especially the teens. The curiosity of peeping into other’s lives to analyse the status quo. The consequence: human contact being replaced with algorithms and jargons that fit into a small device on our palms.
• No wonder that social media gives enough space and knowledge to be on the edge of expertise, at the same time, it gives access to various apps, the sources of which are unknown. Some of them appear as gaming apps and actively display various kinds of drugs that are available with hashtags and pictures.

What should you be looking for?

• What hashtags on social media are red flags?
• If children are using banned apps on social media.
• Monthly expenses of children.
• Try keeping a tab on the social circles of children and the movements and activities of the other children in the group.
• Have open discussions with teenagers about the ill effects of drugs and what role social media plays in the drug trade.

A WORD FOR PARENTS

Since there are several reports of drugs being sold over internet, it is very important to keep a tab on the activities of children, teens and tweens especially when they have cell phones and are active on social media.

Sit with children and have an open discussion about the nuances of drug use and have an action planned in advance if they notice someone selling drugs on social media platform or even when they notice their friends or acquaintances administer drugs.

Have the same apps as them on your mobile and keep checking for alarming hashtags. Do not hesitate to call the local police in case of breaches on social media.