Under the Influence: How Viewing Extreme Partying and Drinking on Social Media Shapes Group Perceptions

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Media Studies

Background:

• Social media is widely used by college students.
• Understanding the impact of social media on perceptions of alcohol use is crucial for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how exposure to depictions of risky alcohol consumption on social media affects college students' perceptions of peer drinking norms and prototypes.
• To assess the influence of social media content on perceived normative support for alcohol consumption.

Main Methods:

• A three-time-point experiment was conducted in 2020 with 208 college students.
• Participants were exposed to different social media video conditions, including one depicting risk-taking drinking behavior.
• Measures included perceptions of prototypical students and perceived normative support for alcohol consumption.

Main Results:

• Participants exposed to risk-taking drinking content used more pro-alcohol language to describe peers.
• Exposure to such content led to an increased perception of normative support for alcohol consumption.
• A significant effect was found within the risk-taking drinking condition.

Conclusions:

• Risk-taking alcohol content on social media may negatively impact perceptions of student drinking norms.
• These perceptions can create barriers for developing effective social norms interventions for college student drinking.
• Further research is needed to understand and mitigate these social media influences.