By Layla Bouzoubaa
Publication Date: 2026-01-14 13:32:00
When you think of tools for studying substance use and addiction, a social media site like Reddit, TikTok, or YouTube probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But the stories shared on social media platforms offer unprecedented insight into the world of substance use.
In the past, researchers studying people’s experiences with addiction relied primarily on clinical observations and self-reported surveys. But only about 5% of people diagnosed with a substance use disorder seek formal treatment. They make up only a small proportion of the population suffering from a substance use disorder – and until recently there was no easy way to capture the experiences of the other 95%.
Today, millions of people openly discuss their experiences with drugs online, creating a vast collection of raw narratives about drug use. As a doctoral student in information science with a background in public health, I use this material to better understand how people who…
