Qualitative analysis of how U.S. college students construct their alcohol-related content identities via social media

This qualitative study investigates how college students construct their alcohol-related content (ARC) identities on social media platforms. Through the lens of social norms theory, symbolic interactionism, and public commitment paradigms, we examined how students portray themselves through ARC posts.

In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 college students (M_age= 21.2, SD = 1.67) who reported engaging in drinking and ARC posting to elucidate what types of ARC-related identities students employed on social media by going through participants' social media posts. Thematic analysis was used to categorize ARC identity themes and subthemes.

Results revealed two central themes where alcohol was either featured as focal point or as an accessory within students' ARC identities. Under the central theme of alcohol as a focal point, subthemes of partier, humorist, and master drinker ARC identities were uncovered. Under the central theme of alcohol as an accessory, the subthemes of social/outgoing, sophisticated, and material status ARC identities were identified. Some students within the partier, humorist, social/outgoing, and sophisticated subthemes engaged in secrecy/implicit signaling to shield their drinking from others outside their in-groups.

Uncovering specific types of ARC identities could be helpful to identify harmful drinking patterns in college students. Future research could explore how the frequency in which students display their identities using alcohol as either a focal point or alcohol as an accessory might differentially predict varying levels of drinking and alcohol-related problems among college students. This type of research could help target which college students are more at-risk and inform intervention strategies for college students whose ARC identities are more intertwined with alcohol misuse and alcohol-related problems.