Technology and addictions

New technologies currently play a major role in addictive behaviors. Our ongoing and previous projects have analyzed the role of the internet and online communities in excessive gambling, digital gaming, compulsive internet use, drinking, and drug use. Investigations further extend to drug dealing on social media and the TOR network, and the use of drugs as technologies of the self. 

Technology and addictions research stream brings together latest research from various research projects.

Key Research Projects:

1. Gambling in the Digital Age (The Finnish Foundation for Alcohol Studies, 2021–2024, PI: Atte Oksanen)

2. Problem Gambling and Social Media (Finnish Foundation for Alcohol Studies, 2017–2020, PI: Atte Oksanen)

3. Drug dealing on social media within the Nordic countries (Scandinavian research council for criminology, 2017–2018, consortium PI: Jakob Demand, PI of Finnish part: Atte Oksanen)

4. Non-medical cannabis use for self-medication (Finnish Cultural Foundation 2023–2025, PI: Aleksi Hupli)

Selected 10 publications

1. Demant, J., Bakken, S., Oksanen, A., & Gunnlaugsson, H.  (2019) Drug dealing on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram: A qualitative analysis of novel drug markets in the Nordic countries. Drug & Alcohol Review, 38(4), 377–385. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.12932.

2. Hupli A. (2022) Instrumentalising therapeutic and enhancement drugs as pharmacological technologies with politicogenic drug effects. Drugs: Education, Prevention, and Policy. Special Issue, Theoretical approaches to AOD use, edited by Dr. Cameron Duff & Dr. Amy Pennay. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687637.2022.2063108

3. Kaakinen, M., Sirola, A., Savolainen, I. & Oksanen, A. (2020). Young People and Gambling Content in Social Media: An Experimental Insight. Drug & Alcohol Review, 39(2), 152–161. DOI: 10.1111/dar.13010.

4. Nurmi, J., Kaskela, T., Perälä, J., & Oksanen, A. (2017) Seller’s reputation and Capacity on the Illicit Drug Markets: 11-Month Study on the Finnish Version of the Silk Road. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 178, 201–207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.05.018.

5. Oksanen, A., Oksa, R., Savela, N., Celuch, M., & Savolainen, I. (2021). Drinking and social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions: A five-wave longitudinal study among workers in Finland. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(12), e33125. http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/33125.

6. Savolainen, I., Oksanen, A., Kaakinen, M., Sirola, A., Zych, I., & Paek, H.-J. (2021). The Role of Online Group Norms and Social Identity in Youth Problem Gambling. Computers in Human Behavior, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106828.

7. Savolainen, I., Oksanen, A., Kaakinen, M., Sirola, A., Miller, B. L., Zych, I., & Paek, H. J.  (2020). The association between social media use and hazardous alcohol consumption among youths: A four-country study. Alcohol & Alcoholism, 55(1), 86–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agz088.

8. Savolainen, I., Kaakinen, M., Sirola, A., & Oksanen, A. (2019). Peer Group Identification as Determinant of Youth Behavior and the Role of Perceived Social Support in Problem Gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies, 35(1), 15–30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-018-9813-8.

9. Sirola, A., Kaakinen, M., Savolainen, I., & Oksanen, A. (2019). Loneliness and online gambling-community participation of young social media users. Computers in Human Behavior, 95(June), 136–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.01.023

10. Unlu, A. & Hupli A. (2023) Twitter activity surrounding the Finnish green party’s cannabis legalisation proposal: A mixed-methods analysis. Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 40(6), 625-645. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/14550725231171022

Doctoral Dissertations

Iina Savolainen (2020), Anu Sirola (2021), Aleksi Hupli (2021)