Hybrid drug dealing

Merging on- and offline spheres when dealing drugs via social media

Bibliographic Data

ID14909787
AuthorsNina Tvede Korshøj (0009-0009-2118-8587, Aarhus University, corresponding author), Thomas Friis Søgaard (0000-0003-1936-2346, Aarhus University)
Year2024
Volume130
Pages104509
Publication date2024-08-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Drug Policy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0955-3959 • E-ISSN: 1873-4758
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104509
OpenAlexW4400310051
LanguageEN
Citations received16
References cited47

Research exploring online mediated drug dealing has gained momentum in recent years. Much existing research is characterized by a primary focus on the “online” aspects of drug sales facilitated by social media, resulting in a divide between “on”- and “offline” drug dealing. We wish to bridge this gap, by focusing on the hybridity of dealing drugs via social media and by arguing for a more holistic understanding of contemporary drug dealing. This article is based on in-depth digitally facilitated oral interviews with 25 individuals with experience of dealing drugs via social media platforms and encrypted messaging apps and on observational data from different apps and platforms. We found that many sellers start by dealing offline and gradually drift into sales using social media technology. While the internet offers drug sellers new opportunities to expand their business, many sellers are not technological exclusionists but rather adopt a multichannel approach where they sell both via social media and occasionally or regularly also through in-person and technologically analogue means. Additionally, many sellers do not draw clear cut distinctions between whether they use social media, SMS or encrypted apps, but rather see their “drug sales phone” as one medium for all sales related communication. Findings also show that local offline power dynamics continue to influence sellers’ ability to build and expand their online business, and that offline as well as online networks play a crucial role in sellers’ hiring of helpers and in their bulk drug sourcing. We discuss how our findings have analytical, conceptual, and methodological implications for the development of a more nuanced and holistic approach in the study of drug sales involving online technologies

Criminology · Data science · Drug · Internet privacy · Psychiatry · Social media · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies · Psychology · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology · Spam and Phishing Detection

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