Running head: INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND DRUG USE
Influence of Social Media and Drug Use
Nick Ogilvie
Texas Tech University
1
INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND DRUG USE
2
Peer relationships play an important role in substance use behaviors during adolescence
and emerging adulthood (Cook et al., 2013). The constant borage of advertisement and peers
showing pictures of such actions of consuming alcohol and drugs use through social media sites
has slowly been influencing our youth to experiment more at a younger age.
With the rise of social media applications such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter,
adolescents and young adults have been experimenting more with alcohol and drugs. Constant
advertisement and peer pressure boasting about alcohol and drugs has been a contributor to the
rise.
Facebook and Twitter are among the most-visited web sites in the United States,
particularly among adolescents and young adults (Moreno & Whitehill, 2014). Social media has
a broad reach into the lives of many young people and therefore have the potential to strongly
influence their decisions (Moreno & Whitehill, 2014). As a result, any alcohol-related content
posted on these sites has the potential to reach a large proportion of adolescents and young
adults. This has led researchers to begin to assess the potential of social media sites in identifying
high-risk drinkers through online display patterns of certain types of posts and pictures that have
been posted (Moreno & Whitehill, 2014).
The researchers were able to draw most of their conclusions using such theories and
models as the social learning theory, the media practice model, and the Facebook influence
model (Moreno & Whitehill, 2014). These theories and models have helped researchers
determine certain behaviors on Facebook and Twitter to help show how adolescents and young
adults have been influence by alcohol. Research has shown that the influence of alcohol
advertising in social media is not yet fully understood. Both authors do believe future work is
needed to broaden our understanding of alcohol content across social media sites and over time
INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND DRUG USE
3
in an adolescent’s development (Moreno & Whitehill, 2014).
Using a systematic online sampling strategy of emerging adults (ages 18–24) from across
The United States researchers were able to draw several conclusion on the influence social media
has on young using drugs and alcohol (Cook & Bauermeister & Messer & Zimmerman, 2013).
First, researchers found that consistent with prior evidence, males use social drinking as a way to
bond more often than females, and more likely to develop networks of friends who drink alcohol.
Female youth, on the other hand, reported more frequent alcohol use if they nominated a greater
number of online ties. One plausible interpretation for this finding is that females with larger
social networks may be more likely to be invited to social activities where alcohol is present
(Cook et al., 2013).
The researchers at the end of the sample finally indicated that for alcohol use is
contributed within the context of online interactions, researchers have found that emerging adults
post pictures and discussions of alcohol on social networking sites indicating that the social
experience of alcohol use may extend to online networks (Cook et al., 2013) .These online
discussions also have been found to encourage permissive norms regarding alcohol use. For drug
use they found that “the structure (i.e., total proportion of peer ties) and function of their online
network (i.e., drug use discussion ties and accepting ties) were associated with personal drug
use” (Cook et al 2013, P.1683).
Social media has a broad reach into the lives of many young people and have the
potential to strongly influence their decisions. The growing body of literature on social media
and alcohol suggests that researchers can consider the role of social media to influence people
(Cook et al., 2013) . With the rise of social media applications such as Facebook, Instagram,
Snapchat and Twitter, adolescents and young adults have been experimenting more with alcohol
INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND DRUG USE
and drugs. Constant advertisement and peer pressure boasting about alcohol and drugs is
contributing to the rise of adolescents and young adults experimenting.
4
INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND DRUG USE
5
References
Cook, S., Bauermeister, J., Gordon-Messer, D., & Zimmerman, M. (2013). Online Network
Influences on Emerging Adults' Alcohol and Drug Use. Journal Of Youth & Adolescence,
42(11), 1674-1686.
Moreno, M. A., & Whitehill, J. M. (2014). Influence of Social Media on Alcohol Use in
Adolescents and Young Adults. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, 36(1), 91-100.