Northern Kentucky University
Facebook and Alcohol Consumption in College Students
Institution
Northern Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Cecile Marczinski
Abstract
Facebook is a popular social networking website that a large majority of college students use. Psychologists have become interested in understanding the nature of these online profiles. A recent study revealed that numerous references to alcohol intake on Facebook profiles may be indicative of an alcohol abuse problem. However, this initial study was conducted online and did not provide much detail about the nature of the alcohol use. Given that college students are prone to binge drinking, further investigation into the utility of using Facebook to identify drinking problems is warranted. Therefore, the purpose of this laboratory-based study was to examine the Facebook profiles as a means to identify college student problem drinking. Undergraduate students (n = 73 of approximately equal gender) were recruited for this study. While in the lab, participants logged into personal Facebook accounts and privately answered questions about their activity on Facebook. These included questions about wall and photo postings regarding alcohol use and drunkenness. Then, participants were given the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Personal Drinking Habits Questionnaire, which are measures that assess drinking problems. A linear regression was used to determine if the Facebook data would predict drinking problems. The results indicated that both Facebook postings pertaining to alcohol use and gender predicted AUDIT scores. Individuals who reported posting more photos and wall comments related to alcohol use or drunkenness scored higher on the AUDIT. Males also had higher AUDIT scores. Thus, examining Facebook profiles has the potential to identify young adults who may be at risk for developing drinking problems. Given that brief interventions are available to college students for moderate drinking, the ease of identifying which students might benefit from these interventions may be as simple as asking them about their Facebook pages.
Facebook and Alcohol Consumption in College Students
Facebook is a popular social networking website that a large majority of college students use. Psychologists have become interested in understanding the nature of these online profiles. A recent study revealed that numerous references to alcohol intake on Facebook profiles may be indicative of an alcohol abuse problem. However, this initial study was conducted online and did not provide much detail about the nature of the alcohol use. Given that college students are prone to binge drinking, further investigation into the utility of using Facebook to identify drinking problems is warranted. Therefore, the purpose of this laboratory-based study was to examine the Facebook profiles as a means to identify college student problem drinking. Undergraduate students (n = 73 of approximately equal gender) were recruited for this study. While in the lab, participants logged into personal Facebook accounts and privately answered questions about their activity on Facebook. These included questions about wall and photo postings regarding alcohol use and drunkenness. Then, participants were given the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Personal Drinking Habits Questionnaire, which are measures that assess drinking problems. A linear regression was used to determine if the Facebook data would predict drinking problems. The results indicated that both Facebook postings pertaining to alcohol use and gender predicted AUDIT scores. Individuals who reported posting more photos and wall comments related to alcohol use or drunkenness scored higher on the AUDIT. Males also had higher AUDIT scores. Thus, examining Facebook profiles has the potential to identify young adults who may be at risk for developing drinking problems. Given that brief interventions are available to college students for moderate drinking, the ease of identifying which students might benefit from these interventions may be as simple as asking them about their Facebook pages.