A new research study sheds some light on how using social media content can be a predictor in issues with alcohol for college aged students. The Journal of Health Communication released the study results from the Taylor & Francis Group looking at the correlation between a college student’s social media postings related to alcohol use and their self-reported identity with alcohol to determine if social media content can be used as a predictor to future problems with alcohol use.

The study was compromised of 364 undergraduate students from a mid-sized university in the Midwest. Students included in the study were active on social media sites, had consumed alcohol in the 30 days prior to the start of the study, and were at least 18 years of age. They then provided information via surveys regarding key aspects, including:

• Their social media activity (how long they spend on social sites & how many connections they have on each site)

• Their alcohol identity (need & motivation for consuming alcohol)

• Identifying potential problems with alcohol

• Level of alcohol related posting on social media sites

The results were interesting, but not entirely surprising. The study found that different motivations led to potential alcohol problems, but a correlation was made to social media posting and increased potential for alcohol problems in the future. The chart below shows the correlations found in the study.

 

 

Obviously, consuming alcohol and posting on social sites was a positive indicator of potential problems with alcohol..However, when taking a closer look at the motivation behind alcohol consumption, the results get a bit more interesting.

• Those who were deemed to have an alcohol identity, meaning that they believe that alcohol consumption is part of “who they are” which is supported by alcohol related social media postings, are easiest to use social media to predict problems with alcohol.

• Those who indicate alcohol consumption is driven by a need for entertainment do not necessarily post as much social content related to alcohol. This means that this group would be the most difficult to pinpoint problems with alcohol through social media.

• Those who cite social norms (fitting in, being popular, peer pressure) may show an increase in social media postings related to alcohol consumption, but may not drink as frequently and are not as likely to experience problems with alcohol.

It’s interesting to note the role social media content plays in this study. Those who are identified as having an “alcohol identity” will likely post alcohol related content often because this is who they are. Those who feel peer pressure or want to “fit in” will likely see this content and feel that it is “normal.” Increased social content may encourage alcohol consumption, but at a potentially lesser rate; they can engage in alcohol consumption infrequently but post alcohol related content on their social sites to give the impression that they are “like everyone else” and feel as though they fit in without it becoming a problem.

This study has many key takeaways for parents, students, and school administrators:

• School administrators can use social media content from its student base to identify at risk students and/or groups based on study findings. From there, they can develop programs and plans to address these at risk students before a situation becomes out of hand.

• Similarly, school administrators can address the perception of alcohol consumption on college campuses with support from this study’s findings; educating students on what is perceived as popular and common among college aged students vs reality can be effective.

• Parents need to be aware of their child’s social media content. Sometimes it is revealing to see what a child posts on social sites. Young adults usually aren’t willing to share much with parents; this is where a reputation management service can help – by providing as much information that is known, a service such as this can help identify all public facing social media content their child posts. This can lead toward open discussions about alcohol consumption and related consequences.

• Colleges are starting to implement similar screenings for incoming students that will help identify those with an alcohol identity.. These screenings coupled with social media monitoring tools, can help colleges identify at risk students prior to their arrival on campus.