InstaBuzzed: Celebrities, Drugs, and Social Media

Do you like the summertime feel of Valencia, the creamy black and white texture of Willow, or the soft pastels of Nashville?  If you’re one of the 76% of teens are on Instagram, it’s likely you have a few “go-to” photo filters you use whenever you post.  There are more teens on Instagram than any other social media platform—and many follow their favorite actors, singers, and athletes. With celebrities racking up millions of followers, it’s a bummer that some of them use their reach and power to promote their use of alcohol and drugs. Wiz Khalifa, Diplo, Rihanna, and Nicky Minaj have posted hundreds of pictures with drugs and alcohol. Recently, Miley Cyrus took a more shady approach posting a photo of herself wearing a t-shirt that says “In Love With the Coco,” which, by many accounts, is a reference to the O.T. Genesis song “Coco” about cocaine. More than 7% of Snoop Dogg’s Instagram photos involve drugs or alcohol. It’s not just celebrities, right?  A quick search for the hashtag #marijuana reveals almost 2.8 million posts for just one drug-related hashtag. Is Instagram a Marketplace for Drugs? Beyond pictures of people doing drugs, many drug dealers are turning to Instagram to advertise their products. They post piles of pills and baggies full of weed with the same artistic filters applied to the pics of you and your besties. Though Instagram’s community rules prohibit sharing images that break the law, new drug-related hashtags and new user acc...
Source: NIDA Drugs and Health Blog - Category: Addiction Authors: Source Type: blogs