Social Media, Alcohol, and Your Teens

As covered in Module 3, you also know that nearly half of teens in the US report being on social media “almost constantly”. In addition, research indicates that displays of alcohol and alcohol use are incredibly common. Together, that means there are ample opportunities for teens to be exposed to alcohol content on their social media accounts. Let’s go over a few facts and myths related to the relationships between alcohol use and social media.

Social Media and Alcohol Use

In general, alcohol content on social media is either user-generated (i.e., posted by members of the social media platforms) or via advertising.

User-Generated Content

• Because social media is more interactive and repetitive than other types of media, contains images of actual peers, and content can both be created and consumed, research indicates that the risks of viewing alcohol content on social media may be greater than other forms of media.
• Between 20-30% of adolescent social media profiles include alcohol-related content or displays, with the majority (97%) of displays being pro-alcohol or favorable toward heavy alcohol use.
• It is important to note that alcohol content is not necessarily directly or actively encouraging your teen to drink. Rather it rather relies heavily on passive social influence whereby exposure to alcohol content on social media may serve to normalize and destigmatize drinking, which in turn may make it more likely your teen will want to try it themselves. Below are some examples of passive social influence related to alcohol use your teen may be exposed to on social media.
  • Teens use social media to reconstruct negative and risky drinking practices into positive outcomes in order to avoid acknowledging any implications of or reference to negative consequences associated with drinking. These reconstructed social media content may serve as a powerful form of passive social influence such that if your teen believes that others experience positive outcomes from drinking, they may be more likely to try it themselves.
  • Research indicates that teens are highly likely to accept their peers’ social media posts as accurate representations of their offline experiences.
  • Importantly, research shows that even just viewing alcohol content posted by friends can lead to teens thinking that more teens drink than they actually do, that drinking is not as risky as it actually is, and be more open to drinking in the future. This is yet another example of the power of passive social influence on teen drinking.
  • It’s not just your teen’s peers that may be influencing them–celebrities are doing it too. When influencers post luxurious pictures of themselves with a drink in hand, it is easy to get caught up in the idea that alcohol is needed to have a good time, encouraging people to give it a try themselves.

Regardless of the source, whether it be friend or celebrity, research shows that even small amounts of exposure may add up over time. What should you know about this?

• In a large national survey, nearly half of all teens indicated that they’d seen photos of kids drunk or passed out on social media. More importantly, teens who viewed such images were up to five times more likely to drink alcohol.
• Even if your teen is scrolling through their social media feeds, they are being influenced by what they see.
• Given that the average teen has far more online contacts than they do offline (i.e., friends, peers at schools), the amount of alcohol content they see online daily is quite high.
• The average teen reports having over 100 followers on Twitter and 300 on Instagram, but their Twitter and Instagram feeds may include posts from thousands of other people.  And on other apps like TikTok and YouTube, teens have millions of videos immediately at their fingertips.
• Research shows that although teens may interact with fewer people on Snapchat than other sites, this is the platform they are the most likely to be exposed to alcohol use, and particularly alcohol use by their close friends and classmates who may be particularly important sources of influence.

Advertising Content

Alcohol companies are some of the most prolific creators of content on social media. They have shifted much of their advertising budgets and focus to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter in recent years. Why this shift?

• Social media provides alcohol companies with new ways to mass advertise to young people with little cost, regulation, or effective mechanisms to confirm if a user is of legal drinking age.
• Social media advertising can reach more people than traditional media advertising – a 600% return on investment according to the alcohol industry themselves!

But aren’t there rules about who alcohol companies can advertise to?

• The alcohol industry has adopted voluntary advertising and marketing codes which guidelines designed to reduce the likelihood that alcohol advertising will target consumers below the legal drinking age.
• These voluntary codes state that online marketing should be intended for adults of legal purchase age (21 and over) and that any online marketing should require age confirmation prior to engagement, a process these companies call “age-gating”. However, age-gating is far from foolproof. Underage people can easily circumvent screening measures by lying about their age or creating fake profiles.

So how do alcohol companies market their products on social media?

• Alcohol companies pay for sponsored alcohol advertisements that ‘pop up’ in the newsfeeds or stories of their target audience, advertising specific drinks or promotions. This is a form of active social influence whereby these companies are explicitly suggesting that your teen purchase their product.
• Alcohol companies collect personal data of social media users and target those who frequently look up alcohol content – exposing them to a high number of alcohol ads.
• Alcohol brands also create official Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages to engage with ‘fans’ through questions/polls, by posting photos and memes, hosting competitions, and sharing videos. This content is highly interactive and easily shared.
• Some social media influencers are paid by alcohol companies to upload photos or videos of themselves with an alcoholic drink. By using influencers, alcohol companies have found a way to bypass their own voluntary codes and advertise to young people while capitalizing on the power of passive social influence.
• Some user-generated content is created via promotions run by alcohol companies, with social media users encouraged to upload pictures or videos of them drinking specific alcohol products. This content is not recognized as a breach of advertising rules despite having content which might for example, depict drinkers below the age of 25, or promote risky drinking.

Why should I be concerned if my teen sees alcohol advertisements on social media?

• The more advertising teens see on social media, the more they drink. One study found that for each dollar the alcohol industry spends on advertising, young people drink 3% more each month.
• A large national study found that engagement with web-based alcohol marketing increased the odds of a young person drinking by 98%, whereas traditional marketing (e.g., television, print ads) increased the chances by 51%.

The Bottom Line: Although there are some attempts to regulate alcohol marketing from reaching your teen, there are many ways to circumvent those rules, and as a result, your teen sees a large amount of alcohol advertising. Some of this may be more active (direct advertising) social influence, but a great deal may also be more passive. Regardless of the type of social influence, just being exposed to alcohol advertising can have a significant impact on their drinking behaviors and preference, so it is important that parents understand the powerful role advertising may have on their teens.

As covered in another module, talking with your teen about social media should become a regular part of your lives. Given what you have just learned in this module, we hope you understand the importance of discussing alcohol content they might be seeing or posting.  Similar to our more general strategy to start with simple and positive conversations, we suggest starting with an initial conversation that is just meant for information gathering. Below are some open-ended questions you might work into these initial conversations.

• How often do you see friends/celebrities/influencers post about alcohol on social media?
• How often do you see advertising for alcohol on social media?
• What kind of alcohol posts on social media do you see the most?

Once you have more information on the type, frequency, and impact of the alcohol content your teen sees on social media, we suggest starting conversations aimed at more fully understanding the potential influence this content has on your teens. Below are some sample questions you might consider using.

• How do you feel when you see people posting about alcohol on social media?
• What does it make you think when you see someone else talking about their own alcohol use on social media?
• Tell me about a time you were concerned about someone’s alcohol use they posted on social media?
• How does it make you feel when you see an influencer promoting a brand of alcohol?
• Help me understand more about what goes through your mind when you see alcohol on social media.

First, it is important to know that just because your teen posted about it, doesn’t necessarily mean they have used alcohol. However, research shows that in general the people posting about alcohol are the ones using it, so it is important to discuss whether your teen is drinking (or not) in addition to the specific post you are concerned about. This is a great time to “find the opportunity” and use this as a conversation starter to not only talk about social media use, but also about alcohol use. It is a good idea to talk with your teen when you have had time to think about what you would like to talk about. As discussed in Module 1, reactionary conversations are less likely to be listened to by your teen. Once you are in a good frame of mind, plan a time to have a conversation.

Below are some tips and strategies some parents might find useful when having these conversations:

• Let your teen know that you want to discuss something specific they have shared and sit down with them to look through some of the posts with you.
• As you do, ask them about the posts that trouble you. You can use this as an opportunity to find out what motivated them to do so and learn more about whether they are using alcohol or not.
• Asking questions will help open a conversation more effectively than simply demanding that they stop posting inappropriate content.
• Some other sample questions are:
  • Help me to understand why you chose to post about alcohol use on your social media?
  • How does what you posted about alcohol reflect back on you?
  • What might people you care about think if they saw what you posted?
  • How might what you posted affect others?
  • What are the possible consequences you can think of that could happen because of your post about alcohol?
• When talking with your teen about a specific post or concern you have, be sure to make it clear that everyone makes mistakes and this post does not change how you feel about them and what kind of person they are. It’s always a good idea to keep shame and guilt out of these conversations. Keep this as a teachable moment, not a punishable moment.

Alcohol is the most widely used substance among America’s teens and poses substantial health and safety risks. Teens try alcohol for a variety of reasons – to exert independence, to fit in, to feel more carefree, to escape from stress, or even because they are bored or curious.

So what do you do if you find out your teen is drinking?

First, refer back to Module 1 for a refresher on tips and strategies you can use to encourage positive and open conversations.  Although it may be tempting to rush into a conversation, you may find it useful to work through our steps to prepare and begin a conversation.  Once you have decided on a time and strategy to start a conversation and feel that you are able to have a calm conversation, the following tips may be useful in understanding your teen’s decision to drink as well as communicating your expectations as a parent.

• Understand their motivations. Instead of assuming you know why they chose to drink, ask your teen why they are interested in drinking.  This is likely to give you insight into what may be behind their decision to drink which will allow you to suggest ways of better managing those motivations.
• Not everyone is drinking alcohol. Go to Module 2 to learn how to talk to your teen about normative misperceptions.
• Discuss the negative effects of alcohol.  Although you may have already spoken to your teen about this, now would be a good time to express why you are concerned about their drinking in terms of mental and physical health, safety, and potential long-term effects.
• Reaffirm your expectations.  Be calm, clear, and direct when you express your expectations.  Explain that you do not approve of underage drinking and that you expect them not to do it.  Involve your child in a conversation about what should happen if they do drink while underage and what will happen as a result. Choosing rules that can be enforced and explaining the why behind them is important.
• Get support if needed.  You know your teen best.  If you have any concerns, it is better to start a conversation and to bring in experts if need be.  Resources are available in here.

If you are concerned about your teen and what they might view or post on social media, please refer to Module 2 and Module 3 to learn more about specific strategies you might use to address these concerns with your teen.