Social Media Influence on Alcohol Consumption
Social media use tied to higher alcohol use among teens.
Here’s another strike against social media influence. British researchers studied 6,700 youths ages 10–19 and found that 18% of those in the 10–15 age group drank alcohol at least monthly, with an increased risk of more frequent drinking for each additional hour spent trawling social media.
The findings, reported in Addiction, also showed that 30% of teens ages 16–19 reported drinking at least weekly, with those spending over an hour each day on social media having an increased likelihood to binge-drink. Negative experiences at sites like Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok or exposure to alcohol ads could be behind the link.
See also: For Better or Worse, Social Media Friends Influence Food Choices
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
