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Original Articles

Tradition Gone Mobile: An Exploration of #Betelnut on Instagram

ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon & ORCID Icon
Pages 1483-1492 | Published online: 22 Jun 2020
 

Abstract

Background: As a psychoactive substance that spans borders and cultures, researchers estimate that 600 million people use the areca nut. Despite its historical and geographical significance, betel nut use has received far less research attention than other stimulants such as tobacco, coffee or tea. Scholars have observed that social media platforms have significant effects on the promotion and use of addictive substances. Objectives: Our study investigates user practices and activities on a sample of Instagram posts tagged #betelnut dating back to 2011. Methods: Using social media analytics and hashtag network analysis, we examined user practices and activities on a sample of over 7800 Instagram posts tagged #betelnut dated between July 2011 to February 2019 that were collected in early 2019. Results: Findings determined that #betelnut is a growing topical hashtag on Instagram with content that drives social engagement. Importance: Co-occurring hashtags with #betelnut reflect regional language and cultural naming conventions that center around the Indian subcontinent and Melanesia. The importance of future work in this area is highlighted.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge the U54 University of Guam (NIH Grant 1U54CA143728)/University of Hawaii Cancer Center Partnership (NIH Grant 1U54CA143727) for their support.

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