Self-Reported versus Actual Alcohol-Related Communication on Instagram: Exploring the Gap

Numerous studies have highlighted the relation between drinking behavior and alcohol references on social media. However, most studies on substance-use-related social media effects rely on self-report data, and it remains unclear whether individuals can accurately report their online alcohol-related communication. This study contributes to this line of research by examining whether individuals accurately report their alcohol-related self-sharing behavior on social media and what factors contribute to a misestimation of this behavior. A sample of 149 Belgian college students (64.3% females, M_age = 21.33, SD = 1.49) participated in this study, who were asked survey questions on their general and alcohol-related social media use. In addition, all posts they shared on their Instagram profiles between April 1^st, 2019, and March 31^st, 2020, were captured and coded. The results indicated a positive association between the counted and self-reported frequencies of sharing alcohol posts on Instagram. However, most participants overestimated how often they shared this content. The perceived injunctive norms and sharing alcohol posts for entertainment motives were the only significant predictors of this overestimation. We conclude that this overestimation may be a result of subtle social desirability processes and a misremembrance of what has been shared.