Disposition-content congruency in adolescents' alcohol-related social media (self-) effects : the role of the five-factor model

Objective: Accumulating evidence indicates that social networking sites play an increasingly important role in young people's drinking behavior. The present study adds to this research by assessing the conditionality of the relationships between exposure to and self-sharing of alcohol-related content on social media and adolescents' drinking behavior. Specifically, the moderating role of the five-factor model of personality is determined. Method: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted among 866 mid-adolescents (Msubsample = 14.85 years, SD = 0.71, 57.5% girls). Polynomial regression analysis with response surface modeling was used to test the interactions. Results: Exposure, but not self-sharing, was directly associated with more alcohol consumption. However, it appeared that the act of sharing was more important than the frequency of sharing. Next, the relationship between exposure and consumption was not found to be moderated by personality. In contrast, there were significant linear and nonlinear interactions between self-sharing and all five personality traits. Individuals who are predisposed to engage in more alcohol consumption experience a stronger association between self-sharing and their drinking behavior. Conclusions: Social media can play a role in adolescents' drinking behavior, but this role is partially dependent on temperamental predispositions

#DrinksWithFriends: De onderliggende processen en conditionaliteit van alcohol-gerelateerde sociale mediaeffecten

status: publishe

#Wasted: Exploring the associations between alcohol-related social media use and drinking behavior

status: publishe

Strategic self-presentation or authentic communication? Predicting adolescents' alcohol references on social media

Objective: The current study is one of the first to examine how self-reported alcohol consumption, friends’ perceived alcohol consumption and the perceived number of friends sharing alcohol references on social networking sites (SNS) is associated with adolescents’ sharing of alcohol references on SNS. Method: A cross-sectional paper-and-pencil survey was administered among 3172 adolescents (Mage=17.16, SD=.93; 50% girls). Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. Results: First, the results indicated that both self-reported drinking behavior and the perceived number of friends sharing alcohol references, were related to sharing alcohol references on SNS, but the perceived number of friends sharing alcohol references was a stronger predictor than self-reported drinking behavior. Friends’ perceived drinking behavior was not a significant predictor. In the second place, self-reported drinking behavior was a stronger predictor for girls than for boys, whereas the perceived number of friends sharing alcohol references was a stronger predictor for boys than for girls. Conclusion: Adolescents’ alcohol-related self-representation is in line with their alcohol consumption, and is also strongly related to what their friends are sharing. Thus, adolescents appear to communicate authentically about their drinking experiences, but the decision to do so is heavily influenced by the prevailing social norm regarding alcohol-related communication.status: publishe

Spelen Sociale Netwerksites een Rol in de Alcoholconsumptie van Jongeren? Een Literatuuroverzicht

Using social networking sites (SNS) is an important leisure activity for adolescents. However, recent research indicates that SNS can affect adolescent alcohol consumption. The current article presents a literature review summarizing what is known about this relation. The existing literature has examined the relation between SNS and alcohol from two angles. First, relying on social norms theory, several authors have examined whether and how exposure to alcohol-related content on SNS can affect the perceived social norms regarding alcohol consumption. Second, it has been recognized that SNS can be used to share alcohol-related on SNS. This can be an indicator of real-life drinking behavior. However, corresponding with the self-generated media-effects perspective and self-perception theory, several studies have analyzed whether sharing alcohol-related content on SNS can stimulate drinking behavior as well. Theoretical implications and empirical support is discussed for each perspective, and recommendations are made for future research and prevention.status: publishe

Hebben sociale media een effect op het alcoholgebruik van jongeren?

Bijna 40% van de Vlaamse adolescenten en studenten consumeert minstens één keer per week alcohol, en ongeveer 90% van hen checkt minstens één keer per dag Facebook. Bovendien posten 15% van de adolescenten en 25% van de studenten minstens een paar keer per maand iets over alcohol op sociale media. Onderzoek wijst er nu op dat sociale media een rol kunnen spelen in het drinkgedrag van jongeren.status: Published onlin

#DrinksWithFriends: Een doctoraatsonderzoek naar de rollen die sociale media kunnen spelen in het drinkgedrag van jongeren

status: publishe

The Association between Social Networking Sites and Alcohol Abuse among Belgian Adolescents: The Role of Attitudes and Social Norms

Both consuming alcohol and using social networking sites (SNS) are popular pastimes among adolescents. The current cross-sectional study (N=3133) aims to explore the relation between being exposed to and displaying alcohol-related content on SNS with alcohol abuse among adolescents age 16-20. First, the results support that displaying alcohol-related content on SNS is more strongly associated with alcohol abuse than exposure to this kind of content. Furthermore, the associations of both exposure to and displaying alcohol-related content on SNS with alcohol abuse are mediated through both perceived social norms of friends and attitudes towards excessive alcohol consumption. Yet, whereas alcohol-attitudes and social norms seemed to be equally important mediators in the relation between exposure to alcohol-related content on SNS and alcohol abuse, the association between displaying alcohol-related content on SNS and alcohol abuse seemed to be mediated predominantly through a change in alcohol-related attitudes. Overall, this study sheds more light on the complex relations between SNS use and risky drinking behavior among adolescents.status: publishe

Reciprocal relations between sharing alcohol references on social media and binge drinking among late adolescents

status: publishe

Triple Spirals? A Three-Wave Panel Study on the Longitudinal Associations Between Social Media Use and Young Individuals’ Alcohol Consumption

status: accepte