Social media should include warnings about nicotine, vaping — and social media itself, say large majorities

Social media companies should include warning labels on posts promoting nicotine, vaping and tobacco, say large majorities of Americans in the latest Media & Technology survey from Boston University’s College of Communication.

Moreover, respondents overwhelmingly believe social media platforms should feature a Surgeon General label warning of the mental health harm inflicted on adolescents by using their own product: social media.

“The Surgeon General’s call for warning labels on social media is straight from the tobacco playbook when the government required warning labels on tobacco products,” said Traci Hong, PhD., professor at Boston University College of Communication and author of the survey. “They work, but they are not widely used on social media where vaping is promoted.

“It’s an election year and we disagree on many issues, but this survey result show strong bi-partisan support for social media platforms to do more to safeguard youths on social media from synthetic tobacco, vaping tobacco products in general, and the mental health harms of social media,” Hong added. “We also need transparency in product promotions by influencers on social media. Whether the compensation is monetary or otherwise, they should disclose such exchanges.”

By a margin of 12 to 1, respondents agreed that social media platforms should be required to have warning labels on posts that promote synthetic nicotine, a lab-produced nicotine that is used in vaping products, or for that matter, any tobacco product.

By a margin of almost 16 to 1, respondents said influencers – active on social media platforms with large audiences among young people — should openly disclose when they have been paid or received goods to promote a product on social media.

Americans responding to the survey took a similarly concerned view of social media itself. By a margin of 8 to 1, they agreed that social media platforms should be required to have a Surgeon General warning label on the mental health harms of social media use among adolescents.

The survey arrives the same week as a new peer-reviewed study published Friday by the journal JAMA Network Open found that companies marketing synthetic nicotine used for vaping and popular with young people were flouting federal warning label requirements. Synthetic nicotine is a lab created form of nicotine that is often marketed as “tobacco-free nicotine” but is still addictive.

The study, co-authored by Hong, examined sample posts sponsored by synthetic nicotine brands on a major social media platform and found that 87% of them failed to follow FDA health warning requirements for tobacco products.

This month’s Media & Technology survey was conducted September 6 to 9, 2024, with a sample size of 1,005, both using Ipsos eNation Omnibus, a nationally representative online survey weighted by education and party affiliation.

Survey Summary

Respondents to this month’s Media & Technology Survey were asked how much they agreed or disagreed with five statements:

Social media platforms should be required to have warning labels on posts that promote synthetic nicotine (synthetic nicotine is a lab produced nicotine that is used in vaping products).

Strongly Disagree: 3% (2% Republican, 2% Democrat, 1% Independent)
Disagree: 4% (6% Republican, 3% Democrat, 3% Independent)
Neither Agree or Disagree: 21% (19% Republican, 17% Democrat, 31% Independent)
Agree: 40% (40% Republican, 44% Democrat, 32% Independent)
Strongly Agree: 32% (33% Republican, 34% Democrat, 32% Independent)

Social media platforms should be required to have a Surgeon General warning label on the mental health harms of social media use among adolescents.

Strongly Disagree: 2% (2% Republican, 2% Democrat)
Disagree: 6% (7% Republican, 6% Democrat, 4% Independent)
Neither Agree or Disagree: 27% (27% Republican, 22% Democrat, 39% Independent)
Agree: 39% (36% Republican, 44% Democrat, 31% Independent)
Strongly Agree: 26% (27% Republican, 27% Democrat, 25% Independent)

Influencers should openly disclose when they have been paid or received goods to promote a product on social media.

Strongly Disagree: 2% (1% Republican, 1% Democrat, 2% Independent)
Disagree: 3% (3% Republican, 3% Democrat, 1% Independent)
Neither Agree or Disagree: 16% (15% Republican, 12% Democrat, 28% Independent)
Agree: 41% (43% Republican, 42% Democrat, 31% Independent)
Strongly Agree: 38% (37% Republican, 41% Democrat, 39% Independent)

More can be done by social media platforms to warn youth about the harms associated with vaping.

Strongly Disagree: 2% (2% Republican, 1% Democrat)
Disagree: 4% (3% Republican, 4% Democrat, 5% Independent)
Neither Agree or Disagree: 17% (18% Republican, 13% Democrat, 29% Independent)
Agree: 43% (43% Republican, 45% Democrat, 34% Independent)
Strongly Agree: 34% (34% Republican, 37% Democrat, 32% Independent)

Social media platforms should be required to have warning labels on posts that promote any tobacco product.

Strongly Disagree: 2% (2% Republican, 2% Democrat, 1% Independent)
Disagree: 4% (5% Republican, 3% Democrat, 4% Independent)
Neither Agree or Disagree: 20% (18% Republican, 14% Democrat, 31% Independent)
Agree: 43% (47% Republican, 46% Democrat, 32% Independent)
Strongly Agree: 31% (28% Republican, 35% Democrat, 33% Independent)

About the Media & Technology Survey

The Media & Technology Survey is an ongoing project of the Communication Research Center (CRC) at Boston University’s College of Communication. This month’s polls were conducted in English on September 6 to 9, 2024, using Ipsos eNation Omnibus, a nationally representative online survey that measures attitudes and opinions of 1,005 adults across the United States, respectively. This online survey has a credibility interval (CI) of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The data were weighted to the U.S. population data by region, gender, age and education. Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error.