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Temporal, Sex-Specific, Social Media-Based Alcohol Influences during the Transition to College
Jordan P Davis1, Nina C Christie2, Daniel Lee3
1Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, USC Center for Mindfulness Science, USC Institute on Addiction Science, USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Substance Use & Misuse
|May 7, 2021
Summary
Social media exposure to alcohol content predicts increased college student drinking, with effects varying by sex and timing. Tailored prevention programs integrating social media feedback are recommended for freshmen.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- College transition involves new social dynamics, increased alcohol access, and peer influence.
- Social media is increasingly studied as a predictor of college events.
- Limited research exists on social media's influence on alcohol use during the critical college transition phase.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how exposure to alcohol content on social media influences alcohol consumption patterns in college freshmen.
- To investigate if sex moderates the relationship between social media alcohol content exposure and alcohol use trajectories.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 320 college freshmen assessed three times: pre-matriculation, first, and second semesters.
- Assessed exposure to alcohol content on social media, distinct from personal alcohol-related posting.
- Utilized multi-group modeling to analyze effects by sex.
Main Results:
- Exposure to alcohol content on social media was linked to higher drinking frequency.
- Men showed increased drinking pre-matriculation with higher social media alcohol exposure.
- Women exhibited greater alcohol use in the first semester following increased social media alcohol exposure.
Conclusions:
- Social media alcohol content exposure is a significant predictor of increased alcohol consumption among college freshmen.
- The impact of social media alcohol content on drinking varies by sex and developmental stage within the freshman year.
- Prevention programs for freshmen should incorporate social media normative feedback, tailored to specific timing and sex differences.
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