Nam Hei Isaac Lee

CMST 102 Podcast Series: Persuasive

Social Media Influences Drug Use
Specific Purpose: To get the attention from people that social media increase the number of
drug use and be careful of the content of social media.
Central Idea: Social media allows people to connect with their friends and others easily, and
this increase the risk of drug use.
Introduction
I. (Attention) How many of you have your smart phone that can access the Internet all the time?
In this case, how long do you spend on social media per day?
II. (Adaption) Most of you use social media all the time, and you will learn the values and
behavior from social media. Because of technological innovation and economic prosperity,
people's quality of life has grown. It means that adults, teenagers, and children have been
exposed to media frequently. Stanley Baran mentions that since social media is considered as
one of the agent of socialization, people's values and behaviors have been shaped by social
media. However, when social media comes to drug use, it tends to promote the drug use.
III. (Purpose) This podcast is to get people's attention that social media has the negative
influence on teenagers drug use, so people have to be careful on the content.
IV. (Preview) I am Nam Hei Isaac Lee, and I will cover how social media increase the risk of
drug use.
Body
I. First of all, social media allows people to upload the picture whenever and wherever they are.
People sometimes take the pictures when using drugs as well as alcohol, and they will upload
them onto social networking websites. Therefore, their friends can see those photos which are
related to drug use.
A. Based on the research of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at
Columbia University, teenagers who had seen pictures that their friends post on social
networking were also more than twice as likely to think they would try drugs in the
future, and much more likely to have friends who used illegal drugs, and they have higher
opportunities to get drugs (O'Toole).
B. The reason why teens' friends who do that may have a significant impact on teen's
behavior and values is because their friends are "significant others". Bonng Albo explains

that significant other means the people who are the other people have a great impact on
their values and behavior. In this case, social media becomes the channels to influence
the values and behaviors of teenagers In other words, social media increases the
opportunities of young people to use drugs.
II. Apart from that, social media allows people to contact with their friends easily, and this
increases the opportunities that people are able to hold parties and gathering.
A. Because of instant message and phone call, it is more easy for people to have parties
or gathering. In the parties and gathering, teenagers are more likely to engage in drug use
and drinking activities. In the article, "The Influence of Social Media and Teen Drug
Use", mentions that in the parties and gathering, teenagers are easily influenced by their
friends because of peer pressure. When their friends do drug use, or their friends ask to
try it, it increase the opportunities of teenagers drug use.
B. According to the articles ""The Influence of Social Media and Teen Drug Use", their
parents who leave home for a whole night doubles the opportunities of teenagers' drug
use. Parents are the most influential people at home to monitor teens' behavior. Once they
are not at home overnight, teenagers' behavior will not be under control. As a result, they
will try to use drugs.
Conclusion
I. To sum up, on account of the advanced technology, teenagers are more easily to engage drug
use because social media allows them to upload the drug related pictures and hold the parties as
well as gathering easily. In order to lower the opportunities of promoting drug use because of
social media, parents and teenagers should be careful on the content on social media. Please
think twice before you act after reading the material on social media. Otherwise, you will get into
a big trouble.
II. Thank you for listening this podcast. I hope you guys can use social media wisely.
III. If you have any questions about this topic, please feel free to leave comment under my
website.

Works Cited
Albo, Bonny. "What Does Significant Other Mean?" About Dating and Relationship. About.
Com, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2015.
Baran, Stanley J. Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture. N.p.: n.p.,
n.d. Print.
"The Influence of Social Media and Teen Drug Use." Turning Point Center Utah RSS. N.p., n.d.
Web. 01 Mar. 2015.
O'Toole, Molly. "Social Networking Increases Risk of Teen Drug Abuse: Study." Reuters.
Thomson Reuters, 24 Aug. 2011. Web. 01 Mar. 2015.