Date of this Version

12-2023

Project Type

Campaign

Rights

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Abstract

Steroid use is nothing new, especially among athletes in competitive sports. The drug is used to give the user an accelerated amount of strength and muscle mass, in a shorter time and often beyond the capabilities of their body's performance in its natural state. Doping is a name for it when reported about in these instances, attributed to the fall and public disgrace of some of the most celebrated sportsmen, yet has continued to be the open secret in the sporting community. The disgrace, the health risk, and the classification of anabolic steroids hasn't slowed down the trafficking or sales of these Class C illegal drug. It has grown, expanding their reach and popularity to non-competitive gym goers who aim to build the muscle mass that they feel is unobtainable as they age, especially Generation Z.

Generation Z teens and young male gym goers are among the fastest growing group of anabolic steroid users, and there are a few factors that can contribute to this rise. Social media influencers and platforms algorithms influence on body image are undeniable. The National Library of Medicine attests this by saying, “The pressure caused by social media has a particular impact here, in which the ideal figure associated with a flat belly, low percentage of body fat, and a visibly muscular body is widely promoted, or even normalized.” (Kaunas, 2023). Most importantly, the transactional communication between peers and dealers that hook and often sustain teens and men in anabolic steroid use and addiction are vital to examine.

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