Previous research has shown positive relationships between young adults posting alcohol-related content on social media and drinking outcomes. However, the reasons for this connection as well as reasons behind posting such content are often not understood. Perceptions of peer drinking have also been shown to have a significant impact on student alcohol use. To look at the way these factors impact student alcohol use, a recent study looked at college students’ perceptions of their friends’ approval of alcohol use as well as their social media posts of alcohol-related content.
This study surveyed students at two large universities annually for 4 years. Participants’ Facebook posts were observed during this time, and alcohol-related posts were coded.
The results of this study indicated that time, more alcohol use, and perceiving friends to be more approving of drinking were all related to posting alcohol-related content. The amount of posts did not increase or decrease based on changes in perceived approval and drinking behaviors. Initially, those who drank more posted more alcohol-related content, but the amount of posts decreased during the study. Lighter drinkers’ amount of posts remained stable.
Overall, alcohol-related social media posts can impact student norms of alcohol use and may cause increase in alcohol use in students who are e exposed to such content.
Take Away: College students who have time, use high amounts of alcohol, and perceive their friends to approve of alcohol use are more likely to post more alcohol-related content on their social media. This content may impact student norms of alcohol use and lead to increased use.
Steers, M.N., Neighbors, C., Wickham, R.E. (2019). My friends, I’m #SOTALLYTOBER: A longitudinal examination of college students’ drinking, friends’ approval of drinking, and Facebook alcohol-related posts. Digital Health. doi.org/10.1177/2055207619845449.