The effects of social media on opinions about drugs, stimulants and addiction

The addiction problem is a biopsychosocial problem and therefore it needs to be examined from different angles. When the environmental foundations of the problem are focused on, the interaction between different systems and people is emphasized. Interpersonal communication is also influenced by factors such as the individual's developmental period or psychological state. Today, the systems in which people communicate with are not limited to their physical environment. As a result of emerging communication technologies, people have created a virtual world for themselves. Therefore, while focusing on the environmental and individual foundations of addiction, the social media factor should be taken into consideration. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between social media use and opinions about drugs, stimulants and addiction. The sample of the study consists of freshmen at Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University. The data were analyzed with Spss 25.0 package program. As a result of the research, it was learned that different demographic characteristics had an effect on social media usage habits. Outcome of examining the opinions of the participants regarding the encountering with drugs and stimulants on social media platforms according to their gender, it was observed that men are under a greater risk than women. In addition, age factor was found to be effective in terms of encounter and emulate. Although the time spent on social media did not have a significant effect on drug and stimulant use, it was found out that the use of YouTube and Twitter affected some opinions. At the same time, it was observed that the posts of drug and stimulant content on social media platforms had an effect on the opinions of the people. In conclusion, it is thought that informing experts working in the field of fight against drug addiction about the effects of social media factor in interpersonal communication, and assisting clients in preventive, preventive and therapeutic studies and social adaptation process.