A TAILORED MENU OF DRUGS: THE ADVERTISEMENT AND SALE OF DRUGS ON TIKTOK : A NETNOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE SWEDISH DRUG DEALING MARKET ON A SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM

Abstract: PURPOSE - The issue of drug markets on social media platforms are under-researched. To help address the research gap, this paper accounts for the emerging drug dealing trends surrounding the community on TikTok. The purpose of this paper is to understand how drug dealers use a trending social media platform, namely TikTok, to advertise and sell illegal drugs and how the environment on TikTok facilitates drug promotions on the platform. METHOD - Data were gathered during seven weeks of netnographic fieldwork conducted among Swedish accounts on TikTok marketing drugs through video- and image posts. All evidence of content in which drug marketing was evident, including drug dealer profiles and open interactions of drug dealers and customers in the comment sections, was saved, coded and analyzed. The concepts of routine activity theory were applied and discussed in relation to the prevalence of the drug markets on TikTok. FINDINGS - In total, 116 posts with content of advertisements of illegal drugs were identified, divided into 43 Sweden-based profiles. Some drug dealer profiles were more professional than others and offered various drug types and services. Drug dealers adopted several marketing strategies, facilitated by the functions and algorithms of TikTok, to promote their drug dealing profiles and promotions. KEYWORDS -  netnography, cyber-environment, drug promotion, sale of drugs, algorithms, social media platforms, drug dealing activity.