The Gamification of Smoking

Smoking is the most common way that people get their nicotine. Smoking is also fairly straight forward. All you needed is a cigarette and a way to light it.

With the advent of e-cigarettes this is no longer the case. You now need a vape pen (the electronic cigarette device), a long lasting battery and, the vape juice (the flavored liquid that contains the nicotine). This is the short list for those who are just starting out. As individuals become more "experienced" vapers (people who use e-cigarettes) the possible modifications that they can apply to the vape pens and vape juice are almost endless.

With these modifications, vapers can perform a variety of "tricks" with the types of vapor clouds they blow. Along with the nicotine in the vape juice, another common ingredient is propylene gylcol. The latter is also used in fog machines and, it is this quality that helps vapers to perform tricks with their clouds of smoke.

One of these tricks is called "The Dragon." Here the vaper exhales clouds of smoke from both ends of the lips and from the nostrils giving the appearance of a dragon breathing fire. This is just one example the types of tricks that can be performed. The Tornado, The Ghost, The Atomic Bomb, The French Inhale, Bubbles, The O, and the list of possible tricks continues.

The variety of the tricks and, the ability with which to perform or modify them, has led to development of competition among experienced vapers as to who is better. Vaping is not simply different from smoking because of technical or scientific reasons. The more you vape the more it can become like a game. Who can blow the better clouds?    

The combination of nicotine and the gamification of the manner in which it is inhaled is a very additive combination. With smoking the main addition was caused by the nicotine. However, with vaping there is the added component of competition and the attention that comes though it from social media. Outlets like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook are filled with videos of vapers demonstrating their prowess. With smoking, cigarette companies needed Marlboro men to advertise and promote the product. However, with vaping every user has the potential to be a brand ambassador.

Vaping may not simply be replacing smoking as a source of nicotine. It is a combination of nicotine and the competition for views , followers, and likes. With vaping, the true addiction may not be the nicotine but the craving of attention.