1
|
Vanherle R, Geber S, Beullens K. The Effects of Alcohol-Related Social Media Content on Adolescents' Momentary Perceived Norms, Attitudes, and Drinking Intentions. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2024; 39:2225-2243. [PMID: 37743628 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2023.2259696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Research has shown that exposure to alcohol posts on social media can shape adolescents' alcohol-related normative perceptions and attitudes, which in turn play a role in their drinking intentions. However, these studies focused on content in general, neglecting the variety of alcohol posts on social media. Furthermore, they were mostly cross-sectional and studied behaviors at one-time point, thus not considering within-person/daily (co-)fluctuations in exposure to alcohol posts and drinking cognitions. Therefore, this daily diary study among 275 Belgian adolescents (Mage = 15.83, SD = .88, 56.2% girls, 43% boys, 1 X) adds to the literature by examining how two types of alcohol posts (i.e. alcohol-focused vs. friend-focused) differently predict adolescents' normative perceptions (i.e. descriptive and injunctive), alcohol-related attitudes and intentions to drink, both on the between- and daily within-levels. The results showed that alcohol-focused posts but not friend-focused posts predicted adolescents' drinking cognitions (i.e. injunctive norms, descriptive norms, and attitudes) on the daily within-level. Descriptive norms and attitudes also predicted the intention to drink, on the between and daily within-level for attitudes but only on the daily within-level for norms. Overall, the results highlight that specific types of alcohol posts differently shape adolescents' daily drinking cognitions, thereby informing future interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Vanherle
- KU Leuven, Faculty of Social Sciences, School for Mass Communication Research
- KU Leuven, Child and Youth Institute; KU Leuven
| | - Sarah Geber
- Department of Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich
| | - Kathleen Beullens
- KU Leuven, Faculty of Social Sciences, School for Mass Communication Research
- KU Leuven, Child and Youth Institute; KU Leuven
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Vanherle R, Geber S, Geusens F, Beullens K. Drinking Buddies: The Importance of Proximal Norms in Emerging Adults' Alcohol-Related Private and Public Social Media Use. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2023; 38:3301-3315. [PMID: 36473724 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2022.2148086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to alcohol posts on social media has been found to be associated with emerging adults' alcohol use. An important mechanism through which this association seems to occur are social norms. Thus far, however, research has not differentiated between proximal and distal norms and has not accounted for the private (e.g. Instagram private features, Snapchat) and public media outlets (e.g. Instagram public features) through which these norms might have been constructed. The results of our online survey among emerging adults (N = 789, Mage = 21.46, SDage = 1.88, 56.4% female), therefore, showed that exposure to alcohol posts on private SNS features in combination with descriptive proximal norms, instead of more public SNS features and distal norms, played an important role in emerging adults' alcohol use. As such, future research should focus more thoroughly on the interrelations between SNS private features and proximal normative perceptions and try to better understand on which social cues normative perceptions of proximal other's alcohol consumption are based.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Geber
- Department of Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich
| | - Femke Geusens
- Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, KULeuven
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hendriks H, Thanh Le T, Gebhardt WA, van den Putte B, Vanherle R. Dealing with Alcohol-Related Posts on Social Media: Using a Mixed-Method Approach to Understand Young Peoples' Problem Awareness and Evaluations of Intervention Ideas. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:ijerph20105820. [PMID: 37239547 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20105820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Young individuals frequently share and encounter alcohol-related content (i.e., alcohol posts) on social networking sites. The prevalence of these posts is problematic because both the sharing of and exposure to these posts can increase young individuals' alcohol (mis)use. Consequently, it is essential to develop effective intervention strategies that hinder young individuals from sharing these posts. This study aimed to develop such intervention strategies by following four steps: (1) assessing young individuals' problem awareness of alcohol posts, (2) unraveling individuals' own intervention ideas to tackle the problem of alcohol posts, (3) examining their evaluations of theory/empirical-based intervention ideas, and (4) exploring individual differences in both problem awareness and intervention evaluations. To reach these aims, a mixed-method study (i.e., focus-group interviews and surveys) among Dutch high-school and college students (Ntotal = 292, Agerange = 16-28 years) was conducted. According to the results, most youth did not consider alcohol posts to be a problem and were, therefore, in favor of using automated warning messages to raise awareness. However, these messages might not work for every individual, as group differences in problem awareness and intervention evaluations exist. Overall, this study puts forward potential intervention ideas to reduce alcohol posts in digital spheres and can therefore serve as a steppingstone to test the actual effects of the ideas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanneke Hendriks
- Behavioral Science Institute (BSI), Communication & Media, Radboud University, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Tu Thanh Le
- Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, 2511 VX Den Haag, The Netherlands
| | - Winifred A Gebhardt
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bas van den Putte
- Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR), University of Amsterdam, 1018 WV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Robyn Vanherle
- Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
LaBrie JW, Boyle SC, Baez S, Trager BM, de Rutte JL, Tan CN, Earle AM. "Follow my Finsta": Drinking trajectories in relation to auxiliary Instagram accounts. JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH : J OF ACH 2023; 71:749-757. [PMID: 34670108 PMCID: PMC9018868 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2021.1906683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study explored the burgeoning youth practice of possessing a fake, secondary Instagram account known as a "Finsta" in relation to exposure to alcohol-related content and college drinking. PARTICIPANTS First-year university students with at least a primary Instagram account (N = 296) completed online surveys. METHOD Surveys assessed whether participants did or did not have a Finsta pre-matriculation (T1), Instagram alcohol content exposure one month into college (T2), and alcohol use at T1 and near the end of the first year (T3). RESULTS Moderated mediation analysis revealed that having a Finsta at T1 was associated with greater exposure to alcohol-related posts at T2 and, for male but not female students, predicted heavier drinking at T3. CONCLUSION Findings are consistent with previous results suggesting that males may be more behaviorally impacted by peers' depictions of alcohol use on social media. This carries implications for social media-based intervention efforts targeting first-year students.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W LaBrie
- Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sarah C Boyle
- Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sebastian Baez
- Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Bradley M Trager
- Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Cara N Tan
- Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Andrew M Earle
- Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Romo-Avilés N, Pavón-Benítez L, Tarancón Gómez P. "Keeping your composure": A digital ethnography of gendered alcohol norms on Instagram. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 112:103936. [PMID: 36584635 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The increase in alcohol consumption among young women has been the most striking change in drinking culture in Spain in recent years. This study sets out to examine how images and stories about alcohol consumption are presented on Instagram, the strategies for constructing them, and the impact of social norms, including gender norms, on the strategies of making alcohol consumption visible. METHODS We have carried out a digital ethnography study in which different research techniques have been applied. We held 13 discussion groups, conducted a three-month period of observation on Instagram, and 38 in-depth interviews of young Spanish men and women between the ages of 15 and 24 (N = 118). RESULTS The representation of alcohol consumption on Instagram by young people shows fashionable party spaces for shared disinhibition, fun and youth gatherings. This social network permits different types of alcohol advertising and promotion of the image associated with its consumption, and is thus a space that brands and influencers exploit. Young people avoid the diffusion on Instagram of images related to their heavy use of alcohol through particular strategies. They untag, delete or avoid using their smartphone; and they choose the audience to whom images are directed, and the areas of publication. The desire to be posting and exhibiting constantly converges with embarrassment and precaution with (un)known audiences. Gender is a key element for understanding the differences in the way in which posts on Instagram related to drinking and drunkenness affect young people. CONCLUSIONS Our data show that Instagram fosters the spreading of an ideal model of "alcohol consumption" online that tends to conceal the adverse effects of the substance, and that the online diffusion of behaviour concerning drinking is not gender-neutral.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Romo-Avilés
- Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Research Institute for Women and Gender Studies, University of Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain.
| | - Laura Pavón-Benítez
- Research Institute for Women and Gender Studies, University of Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Pilar Tarancón Gómez
- Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Research Institute for Women and Gender Studies, University of Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain; Research Institute for Women and Gender Studies, University of Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain; Department of Public and Company Law. Faculty of Law. University of Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ward RM, Steers MLN, Guo Y, Teas E, Crist N. Posting alcohol-related content on social media: Comparing college student posters and non-posters. Alcohol 2022; 104:23-30. [PMID: 35977654 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Social networking sites (SNSs) are popular among college-aged adults. The defining characteristic of SNSs is that they are a platform to electronically share content. Most students report posting alcohol-related content (ARC) on SNSs. Little is known concerning these students who consume both alcohol and ARC yet choose not to generate ARC. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the current study was to compare key characteristics of posters and non-posters and develop a measure assessing reasons for not posting ARC. METHOD The researchers recruited a diverse sample of 1063 college students from two universities for an online study. RESULTS Relative to posters of ARC, non-posters tend to drink less, have fewer alcohol-related problems, and report fewer reasons for drinking. Non-posters also report viewing several positive and negative consequences of drinking on SNSs, but at lower levels than ARC posters. The Reasons Not to Post ARC Scale was correlated with common alcohol measures (drinking motives, drinking problems) and self-monitoring. The scale was not correlated with some other measures (posting and sharing alcohol-related content). CONCLUSIONS Given the dominant echo chamber effects of ARC on SNSs, examining non-posters can provide insight into the cognitions that might prevent others from joining the ARC social media culture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ying Guo
- Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, United States
| | - Elizabeth Teas
- Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907 United States
| | - Nicholas Crist
- Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ward RM, Dumas TM, Lewis MA, Litt DM. Likelihood of Posting Alcohol-Related Content on Social Networking Sites - Measurement Development and Initial Validation. Subst Use Misuse 2022; 57:1111-1119. [PMID: 35437097 PMCID: PMC10123799 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2022.2064505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Background: The vast majority of adolescents and young adults are active on social networking sites (SNSs). SNSs are influential, risk-conducive environments for alcohol use among adolescents and young adults. Specifically, posting or sharing alcohol-related content (ARC) is associated with higher levels of alcohol use. However, it is unknown if sharing different types of ARC associates differentially with alcohol use and consequences. Objective: The goal of the current project was to develop a measure of the likelihood of posting key types of ARC posted by adolescents and young adults and to examine their associations with SNS use patterns and actual alcohol-related behavior. Method: Participants were 15-20 years of age (n = 306; 46.7% male; 56.6% Caucasian/White; 27.0% Asian) who completed a battery of self-report measures. Results: Results from an exploratory factor analysis revealed four types of ARC: (1) self and friend consumption, (2) memes and viral photos, (3) status updates: others' drinking and consequences, and (4) pictures: others' drinking and consequences. Conclusions: Participants' likelihood of posting self and Friend Consumption was significantly associated with heightened Snapchat use, typical drinks per week, peak drinking, and negative drinking consequences. Whereas youth appear to share more readily alcohol-related viral posts and memes, it seems that the sharing of ARC that is specifically related to the participants' own use or friends' use is salient concerning alcohol use and problems. Therefore, interventions might consider sending targeted prevention messages to individuals who share certain types of ARC which are more associated with problematic alcohol behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tara M Dumas
- Huron University College at Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Melissa A Lewis
- University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Dana M Litt
- University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hendriks H, de Nooy W, Gebhardt WA, van den Putte B. Causal Effects of Alcohol-Related Facebook Posts on Drinking Behavior: Longitudinal Experimental Study. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e28237. [PMID: 34762061 PMCID: PMC8663476 DOI: 10.2196/28237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Adolescents and young adults frequently post alcohol-related content (ie, alcoholposts) on social media. This is problematic because both social norms theory and social learning theory suggest that viewing alcoholposts of peers could increase drinking behavior. It is therefore paramount to understand the effects of exposure to alcoholposts on viewers. Objective This study aimed to investigate the causal effects of exposure to alcoholposts on alcohol consumption by using a rigorous design. Methods We conducted a 6-week longitudinal study during which alcoholposts were measured by a newly developed app that copied Facebook posts shared by participants (n=281) to a new social media environment. In addition, daily questionnaires assessed alcohol use. Effects of natural alcoholposts (ie, posted by the participants) were assessed in phase 1, and effects of experimental posts (ie, posted by fake participants) were explored in phase 2. Results Results showed that natural alcoholposts increased the occurrence and quantity of drinking the following day. That is, exposure to a single additional alcoholpost increased the log odds of drinking the next day by 0.27 (b=.27, credible interval [CI] .18 to .35). Furthermore, the number of natural alcoholposts had a positive (predictive) effect on the number of glasses drunk the next day (b=.21, CI .14 to .29). In phase 2 when experimental posts were also present, these effects decreased. Experimental posts themselves had hardly any effects. Conclusions This study illustrates clear and direct effects of exposure to alcoholposts on next-day alcohol consumption and suggests that alcoholposts represent an important societal problem that interventions need to address.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanneke Hendriks
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Wouter de Nooy
- Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Winifred A Gebhardt
- Department of Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Bas van den Putte
- Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Kurten S, Winant D, Beullens K. Mothers Matter: Using Regression Tree Algorithms to Predict Adolescents' Sharing of Drunk References on Social Media. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:11338. [PMID: 34769854 PMCID: PMC8583103 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182111338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to online drinking on social media is associated with real-life alcohol consumption. Building on the Theory of planned behavior, the current study substantially adds to this line of research by identifying the predictors of sharing drunk references on social media. Based on a cross-sectional survey among 1639 adolescents with a mean age of 15 (59% female), this study compares and discusses multiple regression tree algorithms predicting the sharing of drunk references. More specifically, this paper compares the accuracy of classification and regression tree, bagging, random forest and extreme gradient boosting algorithms. The analysis indicates that four concepts are central to predicting adolescents' sharing of drunk references: (1) exposure to them on social media; (2) the perceived injunctive norms of the mother towards alcohol consumption; (3) the perceived descriptive norms of best friends towards alcohol consumption; and (4) willingness to drink alcohol. The most accurate results were obtained using extreme gradient boosting. This study provides theoretical, practical, and methodological conclusions. It shows that maternal norms toward alcohol consumption are a central predictor for sharing drunk references. Therefore, future media literacy interventions should take an ecological perspective. In addition, this analysis indicates that regression trees are an advantageous method in youth research, combining accurate predictions with straightforward interpretations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Kurten
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - David Winant
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Dynamical Systems, Signal Processing and Data Analytics (STADIUS), KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 10, 3001 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Kathleen Beullens
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Moreno MA, D'Angelo J, Hendriks H, Zhao Q, Kerr B, Eickhoff J. A Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study of College Students' Alcohol and Abstinence Displays on Social Media. J Adolesc Health 2021; 69:440-446. [PMID: 34053813 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The past decade has seen tremendous growth in research focused on understanding college students' alcohol-related social media displays. However, longitudinal studies remain rare. The purpose of this 5-year study was to describe alcohol and abstinence display patterns on Facebook. METHODS This prospective longitudinal cohort study recruited incoming 17- to 19-year-old college students from two universities upon entering college. Trained coders evaluated Facebook profiles monthly over five years to identify alcohol and abstinence displays. Alcohol displays were further categorized as general alcohol use or intoxication/problem drinking references. Analyses included multivariate negative binomial regression. RESULTS Among 338 participants recruited (mean age = 18.4, SD = .6), 56.1% were female, 74.8% were Caucasian, and 58.8% were from the Midwest college. General alcohol use references were most common in the spring semester of the third year (mean = 3.9 displays; 95% CI: 3.21-4.73), these often included references to a "21 run." Intoxication/problem drinking references were most common in spring semester of the first year (mean = .79 displays, 95% confidence interval: .56-1.10) and second year of college (mean = .77 displays, 95% confidence interval: .54-1.11). There were no gender differences associated with alcohol displays at any time point. Abstinence displays were rare and declined in frequency to a low of four total displays in year 5. CONCLUSIONS This 5-year study is the first to document patterns of alcohol and abstinence displays throughout the undergraduate experience. Findings may inform planning targeted interventions by time point, or longitudinal studies of other substances or on different platforms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Moreno
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.
| | | | - Hanneke Hendriks
- Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Qianqian Zhao
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Brad Kerr
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Jens Eickhoff
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Vanherle R, Beullens K, Hendriks H. The Spiral of Positive Feedback: Go-Along Interviews About Adolescents’ Perceptions of and Reactions to Alcohol Posts on Social Media. JOURNAL OF DRUG ISSUES 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/00220426211041408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Go-along interviews among adolescents ( N = 26, M age = 16.31, SD = .83) were conducted to examine how adolescents interpret alcohol posts in terms of appropriateness and how this, in turn, plays a role in adolescents’ reactions toward alcohol posts on public and private social media entries. The findings of this study, first, indicate that alcohol posts were classified as appropriate or inappropriate based on the amount of alcohol and the displayed behavior in the post. Second, most posts, including inappropriate ones, received positive or no feedback. Moreover, adolescents deliberately seemed to withhold negative feedback out of fear of being misjudged by peers. Still, negative reactions were expressed more quickly in safer off- and online environments (i.e., face-to-face conversation and online chat messages) because they were visible to close friends only. This is important in view of prevention as it unravels the interesting role of private environments in stimulating negative interpersonal communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Vanherle
- Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kathleen Beullens
- Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hanneke Hendriks
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Raboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Mesman M, Hendriks H, van den Putte B. How Viewing Alcohol Posts of Friends on Social Networking Sites Influences Predictors of Alcohol Use. JOURNAL OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2020; 25:522-529. [PMID: 33017276 DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2020.1821130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Young adults are frequently exposed to alcohol posts from their friends on social networking sites, and little research has investigated the influences of these posts on alcohol use. Therefore, this study investigated how exposure to alcohol posts influenced determinants of alcohol use, and whether alcohol posts of close friends influenced these determinants more strongly compared to alcohol posts of distant friends. Students from Dutch universities (N = 210) participated in an experiment with a 2 (post condition: alcohol or neutral) x 2 (friend condition: close or distant) between-subjects design. Participants that were exposed to alcohol posts reported higher intention to use alcohol, F(1, 204) = 4.32, p =.039, willingness to use alcohol, F(1, 204) = 8.15, p =.005, and more positive affective attitudes about alcohol, F(1, 204) = 5.84, p =.017, than participants that were exposed to neutral posts. Additionally, participants who viewed alcohol posts of close friends reported more positive affective attitudes about alcohol compared to participants who viewed alcohol posts of distant friends, F(1, 204) = 5.15, p =.024. Developers of health interventions could use these findings to raise awareness about the unhealthy influences of alcohol posts on determinants of young adults' alcohol use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mathijs Mesman
- Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hanneke Hendriks
- Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bas van den Putte
- Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Merrill JE, Ward RM, Riordan BC. Posting Post-Blackout: A Qualitative Examination of the Positive and Negative Valence of Tweets Posted after "Blackout" Drinking. JOURNAL OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2020; 25:150-158. [PMID: 31986999 PMCID: PMC7175394 DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2020.1719242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol-induced memory loss (i.e., blackout) is a consequence of drinking that is both common and associated with additional negative outcomes. The goal of the present study was to use publicly available Twitter data to better understand cognitions and emotions following blackouts. Tweets containing key terms (e.g., "black out") were collected over 4 days in 2018. Using NVivo software, we coded all post-blackout Tweets for valence (positive, negative, neutral). Within each valence category, we reviewed Tweets to identify themes. Among Tweets coded with a positive valence, themes included pride in blacking out, pride in ability to function despite blackouts, blackouts as a shared social experience, and overall positive views of a drinking experience despite blackouts. Among Tweets coded with a negative valence, themes included the experience of other negative consequences on blackout nights, blackouts as unexpected/unplanned, blackouts as motivator of change, and blackout-related negative emotions. Additionally, Tweeters expressed pride in avoiding blackouts during drinking events. Findings provide insight into why not all individuals describe blackouts negatively, by analyzing specific statements made in a public forum following a blackout. Such insight may inform interventions targeting those who report this risky outcome of drinking, including those that could be delivered via social media.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E. Merrill
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.A
| | - Rose Marie Ward
- Department of Kinesiology and Health, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, U.S.A
| | - Benjamin C. Riordan
- Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Hendriks H, Wilmsen D, van Dalen W, Gebhardt WA. Picture Me Drinking: Alcohol-Related Posts by Instagram Influencers Popular Among Adolescents and Young Adults. Front Psychol 2020; 10:2991. [PMID: 32038379 PMCID: PMC6987445 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Research has shown that young people post a lot of alcohol-related posts (i.e., alcoholposts) on social media and these posts have been shown to increase drinking behaviors. Because social influencers (i.e., individuals with the potential to influence large audiences on social media) may have a strong influence on young people, it is important to know whether and how often they post about alcohol. Furthermore, because by using influencers alcohol brands may have found a way to circumvent regulations that prohibit advertising for minors, it is important to understand whether alcohol brands are visible in influencers’ posts and whether influencers use disclosures (e.g., “#ad”) to notify viewers. In a content analysis of Instagram posts of 178 popular influencers, we investigated: (1) how many and how often influencers post about alcohol, (2) what type of influencers post about alcohol, (3) what the characteristics of influencers’ alcoholposts are, and (4) to what extent these alcoholposts are commercialized (e.g., by showing brands and sponsorship disclosures). Results showed four main findings. (1) The majority of influencers (i.e., 63.5%) posted about alcohol recently. (2) Alcoholposts were positive, showed a social context, and were mostly posted by lifestyle influencers. (3) Although a fair amount of alcoholposts (19.5%) showed a clear alcohol brand, only a few of these posts disclosed this as an advertisement, and even fewer gave an educational slogan (i.e., “#no18noalcohol”). (4) Posts with sponsorship disclosures yielded fewer likes and comments than posts without such disclosures. A post hoc additional study that focused solely on minors confirmed these conclusions. These findings suggest that there is a lot to be concerned about in this context, especially since many minors can be exposed to influencers’ alcoholposts, potentially leading to increased drinking among this vulnerable age group. We therefore advice future researchers to further investigate this topic, and propose that legislation for alcohol advertising needs to be adjusted to account for the context of social networking sites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanneke Hendriks
- Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Danii Wilmsen
- Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Wim van Dalen
- Dutch Institute for Alcohol Policy STAP, Utrecht, Netherlands.,European Centre for Monitoring Alcohol Marketing, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Winifred A Gebhardt
- Institute of Psychology, Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|