Texting Under the Influence: Emotional Regulation as a Moderator of the Association Between Binge Drinking and Drunk...

Texting and alcohol have each been noted to increase perceptions of control, decrease behavioral inhibition, and modulate unpleasant emotions. While drunk texting is a well-known cultural phenomenon, it has received almost no attention in research. In a sample of 211 young adult women, and using a new measure to operationalize drunk texting, difficulty accessing strategies during moments of distress moderated the relationship between binge drinking and drunk texting. Difficulties accessing emotion regulation strategies were associated with drunk texting among those who reported binge drinking. Among nonbinge drinkers, deficits in emotion regulation strategies were not associated with drunk texting. In addition, drunk texting was associated with sex in bivariate correlations. Given the lack of research on the antecedents and consequences of drunk texting, this study suggests that drunk texting may be used as a strategy for emotional regulation and may be predictive of sexual behavior. Results inform several avenues for further inquiry into the motivations and expectations underlying drunk texting and also imply potential routes for intervention.