The Social Media & Unhealthy Marketing Project

In this project we worked with 204 young Victorians to examine the promotion of alcohol, unhealthy food, sugary drinks, and gambling on social media. Our “citizen scientist” participants worked with us to collect 5,169 examples of advertising they saw on their own social media feeds over a twoweek period. In addition to the collection of visual data, citizen scientists completed two surveys on their views and perceptions of unhealthy marketing on social media before and after the collection of screenshots, and were invited to download and share information Facebook created about them in its advertising model. They also offered insights and self-reflections on the data they were collecting via online chat and discussion forums. 

This research establishes a considerable body of evidence of unhealthy marketing through digital channels, co-analysed with young people themselves. The evidence presented here can inform the development of monitoring and regulation of digital marketing by harmful industries. The project has also drawn attention to and developed young Victorians’ critical literacies related to digital marketing by harmful industries. Our citizen science approach has enabled the active involvement of research participants in the data collection and analysis of findings, and engaged young people as advocates for change in the governance and accountability of marketers and digital platforms that cause harm and evade accountability.