Social Media Use and Hazardous Drinking: What Is the Connection?

Social media use could inspire hazardous drinking practices, according to the results of a recent study.

While previous research has established a relationship between social media and youth alcohol use, there is little available data on the effects of different social media platforms and what aspects of social media use explain the relationship, according to the researchers.

They conducted a web-based survey involving participants aged 15 to 25 in the USA (n = 1212), South Korea (n = 1192), Finland (n = 1200) and Spain (n = 1212). The participants were asked about the frequency at which they used Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Periscope, Instagram, online dating services, instant messaging, entertainment streaming services, news sites, general discussion forums, online gaming sites, dark web, online casinos, and online gambling forums. Due to their popularity, 5 platforms were included in the study analyses: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and instant messaging.

Overall, the researchers found that daily use of Facebook and Instagram was associated with increased likelihood of hazardous alcohol use among participants in Spain, Finland, and South Korea. Instant messaging use was associated with increased likelihood among those in Finland and South Korea. Daily use of YouTube was associated with increased likelihood among those in South Korea, but in decreased likelihood among those in the US and Finland. Daily Twitter use was associated with lower likelihood in participants in Finland but higher likelihood among those in Spain. Uploading of pictures to social media was found to be a possible facilitator of social media-related hazardous drinking among participants in the US and Spain.

“The results emphasize a need for more regulatory vigor from the social media sites in effort to limit the amount and spread of pro-alcohol content. These findings also contribute to the growing opportunities for implementing intervention methods within different social media, where adolescent and young adult populations spend much of their time.”

“Analogous to the spread of alcohol-content, health-promotion and prevention messages could be delivered through social media. Intervention methods, such as peer-group interventions, taking place in the virtual context might improve youth engagement in such programs. This could increase the reach and impact of prevention and intervention initiatives,” the authors concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:
Savolainen L, Oksanen A, Kaakinen M, et al. The association between social media use and hazardous alcohol use among youths: a four-country study. Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2020; 55(1):86–95. https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agz088.