“Technophilia”: a new risk factor for electronic cigarette use among early adolescents?

Introduction:
This article discusses a study on the relationship between technophilia and e-cigarette use among Mexican adolescents. The study developed and validated a scale to measure technophilia and assessed its association with e-cigarette trial and use.

Key Points:

* The study found that the technophilia scale had good measurement properties and was associated with e-cigarette trial and use among early adolescents.
* The study also found that traditional smoking risk factors were more weakly associated with e-cigarette trial and use than with cigarette smoking outcomes.
* Exposure to online e-cigarette ads was associated with e-cigarette trial and use.
* The study suggests that public health campaigns are needed to inform parents and youth about the dangers of e-cigarettes and monitor children's online behaviors.
* Future public health campaigns may need to consider adolescent populations with higher technophilia when developing messages to prevent e-cigarette use.

Main Message:
The study suggests that technophilia is associated with trial of e-cigarettes among youth. The measure developed appears useful for understanding why some youth are open to trying novel, technologically oriented ways to consume nicotine. The findings also highlight the need for public health campaigns to inform parents and youth about the dangers of e-cigarettes and monitor children's online behaviors. Future campaigns may need to consider adolescent populations with higher technophilia when developing messages to prevent e-cigarette use and impede progression to other tobacco products.

Barrientos-Gutierrez I, Lozano P, arillo-Santillan E, Morello P, Mejia R, Thrasher JF. “Technophilia”: a new risk factor for electronic cigarette use among early adolescents? addictive Behaviors. 2019;91:193-200. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.09.004