1. SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN
FOUNDATION IN NATURAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (PSY 30203)
NAME: LOH MUN TONG
STUDENT ID: 0323680
WORD COUNT: 848
ASSIGNMENT 1: INDIVIDUAL JOURNAL 1
LECTURER: SIR SHANKAR THIRUCHELVAM
SUBMISSION DATE: 30 NOVEMBER 2015
LOH MUN TONG I FNBE MARCH 2015 l SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (PSY 30203) l INDIVIDUAL JOURNAL 1
2. October 27, 2015 9.00pm
Today I’ve spotted many students puffed on electronic vaping devices along Syopz
Walk in campus. What is vape? To “vape” means to inhale and exhale the vapour
produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device.
According to the new study from Stanford University Medical Centre, adolescents
often have the misconception that smoking cannabis or “vaping” e-cigarettes is
harmless. However, the truth is electronic cigarettes are designed to deliver nicotine
with flavourings and other chemicals using a battery-operated mechanism that turns
the chemical concoction into vapour instead of smoke. Adolescents get a strong
message that smoking traditional cigarettes is addictive and harmful but they are
unclear about the health risks of vaping. There are several factors influencing the
growth of the electronic cigarette industry.
Vaping habits of teenagers can be largely shaped by family and friends under social
influence. Social influence is the process by which one’s thoughts and actions are
affected by others. Social influence takes many forms and can be seen in conformity,
socialization, peer pressure, obedience, leadership, persuasion, sales and marketing.
In this case, teenagers who are participating in vaping could influence by their own
family members since young.
According to Solomon Asch’s Conformity Experiments, conformity refers to an
individual’s tendency to follow the unspoken rules or behaviours of the social group
to which he or she belongs. Teenagers will conform to purchase electronic devices
just because it is the latest trend in the society. Some teenagers will conform to
indulge in vaping under peer pressure. They feel a sense of belonging if they follow
their friends to vape too.
Vaping also acted as an alternative for smokers to quit from smoking. They begin by
using vapes and e-cigarettes to help them quit their smoking habit and continue to
vape as a hobby. For some, it’s an easy transition, while others find making shift to
vapes and e-cigarettes, more of a challenge.
Next is the vaping culture. Many cities and town now have vaping bars and places
where vapers can gather to vape together. This vaping culture is evolving and
encourages many non-smokers to also try vaping. These individual practises Social
Learning Perspective where they observe modelled behaviours and, in turn behave
in a similar manner. This perspective argues that individuals learn from observing the
behaviours of others. However, the availability of many new flavours also
encourages the vaping culture.
Moreover, vaping and electric cigarettes cost less than traditional cigarettes. While
electric cigarettes cost 20 percent less than traditional cigarettes in a long run, vapes
3. are even less expensive for months and years to come since users can save about 10
percent of the cost of smoking traditional cigarettes. This is because the actual vape
machine is reusable and the only weekly expense is likely to be the e-liquid.
However, batteries will need to replace occasionally.
Something that almost every vaper notices after leaving cigarettes behind is the
smell. The pungent odour produced by tobacco cigarette can almost be considered a
hallmark of the product. In contrast, electric cigarettes do not create lasting odours
as the vapour evaporates almost instantly. This makes electric cigarettes far more
socially acceptable as they are virtually odourless. At the very most, e-liquid are
flavoured with anything from a tobacco emulate through to vanilla or fruit.
Over the years the social impact of tobacco smoking has taken its toll and everyone
from potential romantic interests to employers have been influenced by whether a
person smokes. The view of tobacco smoking is now largely negative and restrictions
surrounding cigarettes are at an all-time high. Vaping, on the other hand, is far more
acceptable.
In addition, with electric cigarettes, the days of ashtrays, accidental burns and
nicotine stained walls and ceilings are over. This indicates that our home can stay
clean and there is no ashtray for animals and children to knock over providing clean
air which could welcome our visitors.
Moreover, smoking tobacco has significant impact on the health of those around.
Second hand smoke has been reported to cause 600,000 deaths worldwide every
year. As the vapour produced and exhaled from electric cigarettes does not contain
the same carcinogenic chemicals found in cigarettes, there is no second-hand safety
risk to consider.
Electric cigarettes are not packed full of dangerous chemicals like the traditional
tobacco cigarette. There are approximately 600 ingredients in cigarettes. When
burned, they create more than 7000 chemicals. At least 69 of these chemicals are
known to cause cancer, and many are poisonous.
In conclusion, vaping is an alternative to smoking. It’s like smoking minus several of
the adverse effects of the latter: no bad smell and bad breath, no cigarette burns, no
more dirty ashtrays, less likelihood of getting cancer and other smoking-affiliated
illnesses. In short, vaping is the name given to the use of a vaporizer. The process
involves applying heat to a liquid which generates vapour. The user, called a vaper
gets nicotine hit through inhaling the almost odourless vapour. For me, I would never
indulge in such activities as these activities consume lots of money and it is a health
hazard.
