Alcohol has been a staple in most cultures for thousands of years. As long as society has been around, alcohol has been used for everything from ceremonies to medicinal purposes. Today, it’s mostly social and recreational, but it still has the potential to be harmful.
We all know that drinking too much isn’t good for one’s health. However, it’s very easy to let alcohol consumption get out of hand, especially if you feel social pressure to drink. With so much of our modern-day socializing taking place online, it’s fair to ask if social media affects alcohol consumption. In short? Yes.
Here’s what we know about the effect of social media on drinking:
Research Shows a Link Between Social Media and Alcohol Use
We don’t have to guess about the effect of social media on alcohol use. Studies that have been performed show that there is a link. Dr. Mai-Ly Nguyen Steers, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing at Duquesne University, explains:
“Research has consistently indicated that posting and viewing alcohol-related posts to social media is linked to increased drinking, particularly among young people.”
Lois A. Ritter, Ed. D., MS, MA, MS-HCA, PMP, CHDA, teaching associate professor for the Masters of Public Health program at the University of Nevada, Reno elaborates on this.
“Social media normalizes and glamorizes alcohol consumption and contributes to the culture of drugs. Alcohol advertising has been regulated for decades, yet advertising on social media is not as regulated. Alcohol companies use influencers for advertising to young people.
Images and videos are used to portray alcohol use as cool. Photos of people having fun while drinking are very influential, which is supported by the research. Advertisements from bars about happy hour and information about parties where alcohol is served exist on social media sites.”
How Social Media Can Affect Decision-Making
It’s easy to think we’re immune to the pressure of social media in our decision-making, but most people are susceptible to having their behavior influenced by what they see and hear around them. On social media, that can easily lead to drinking more, based on how alcohol is portrayed online. According to Dr. Steers:
“Posts involving alcohol tend to depict drinking in an overwhelmingly positive light. For instance, people might see their friends engaging in crazy antics under the influence of alcohol, which can be perceived as entertaining or funny by those within their Snapchat network.
Alcohol can also be used to promote an enviable lifestyle. For instance, young people might see images of their friends posting their cocktails on an exotic beach or a person posting about drinking with a huge group of friends, which conveys that they are part of the in-crowd on their Instagram feed. Over time, seeing friends or celebrities post this type of content can influence peoples’ decision-making by encouraging them to drink more.”
Normalizing Drinking Online
When people see drinking in a positive light on social media, excessive consumption becomes normalized. Unfortunately, this can lead to problems like alcoholism, which is associated with abuse, domestic violence, and other crimes.
Posting about alcohol might seem harmless, but it can have darker implications for those who see the posts and seek the same kind of approval. As Dr. Steers explains:
“Imagine if you are a young person and if all you see on your social media feed are pictures of the friends in your social media network hanging out drinking or getting wasted on a weekly or even daily basis. Seeing a constant stream of this type of content might lead you to think that this behavior is not only normal but encouraged.
Given that alcohol-related posts often receive a lot of likes or comments, this validation might persuade young people to continue posting similar content or even feel compelled to go out drinking just to have something to post about. This can cause a dangerous chain reaction in terms of drinking and posting within the social media network.
For instance, not only is Jill encouraged to drink more to have something noteworthy to post about but it might also prompt Heather, who is in Jill’s social media network, to drink and post similar content in response to seeing the positive feedback that Heather received from her posts about drinking.”
There’s been a lot of discussion on how technology positively and negatively affects children and young people. But based on the research, it seems that seeing positive depictions of alcohol use on social media can have a significant impact on a young person’s behavior and decision-making surrounding drinking.
Can People Struggling with Substance Abuse Safely Use Social Media?
If you’re worried that you’re drinking too much or you have been in treatment for alcohol abuse, what does this mean for your social media use? Is it safe to use social media at all? Dr. Ritter has some tips:
“The easiest way is to not use social media, but some may feel that is not an option due to the social networks that can be beneficial. Limiting time on social media is encouraged. Not visiting sites that you know will have alcohol or substance use images and content, such as bars. Being mindful of what triggers your substance misuse so that you can be honed in on avoiding those triggers.
Maintain privacy settings so that you can prohibit interaction with those who you know misuse substances. For Facebook users who want to eliminate alcohol-based advertisements on their feeds, they can go to Settings in the top right corner on the browser, click ‘Ads’ on the left-hand column, then ‘Hide ad content.’ There they can select alcohol. Alcohol ads also can be blocked on Twitter and Instagram.”
Social media doesn’t necessarily cause alcoholism. But if you’re worried about your own consumption or you have a teen in the house, be cautious. Understand the link between social media and alcohol consumption so you can take steps to ensure you or your family’s drinking doesn’t get out of hand.
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This content is made possible by Andrew Deen.
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