This time, I'd like to talk about social networking and drinking.
Do you drink?
And do you post pictures of your drinking and drinking parties on social networking sites?
I'd like to introduce you to a research paper in psychology that suggests that this behavior can make you more dependent on drinking.
The study
Research has shown that recognizing alcohol-related posts on Facebook can predict the future alcohol consumption of college students, but little research has been done on the effects of alcohol-related posts on future behavior.
The purpose of this study was to examine the pathways through which alcohol-related posts on Facebook may lead to increased drinking among college students who make these posts.
Freshmen from two universities (310 participants) were interviewed the year before entering college (T1) and one year later (T2), and their Facebook profiles were assessed for alcohol-related posts during the academic year.Positive attitudes toward alcohol prior to entering college were positively related to drinking activity prior to entering sophomore year.
This relationship was mediated by alcohol-related Facebook posts during the academic year and the percentage of friends who reported being drinkers after their sophomore year.
Theoretically, this is evidence of online identity changes and Facebook-induced changes in friends.
These findings highlight the potential role that Facebook may play in both identity development and friendship cultivation among college freshmen, and provide insight into future college drinking prevention and intervention initiatives.
Commentary
The content of the study suggested that photos and videos of drinking posted on Facebook may continue or increase subsequent drinking behavior.
However, these effects are not very strong, and the reasons for behavioral changes seem to be identity changes and changes in friendships.
If these relationships do not change, it may be possible to live a campus life in college without being addicted to alcohol, but depending on the friends you associate with, drinking behavior is expected to increase.
To begin with, in Japan, drinking behavior is over 20 years old, so this is not applicable, but in reality, some people are probably drinking.
Be careful! In Japan, drinking behavior does not apply to people over 20 years old, but in reality, there are probably people who drink.
D'Angelo J, Moreno M. Facebook-Induced Friend Shift and Identity Shift: A Longitudinal Study of Facebook Posting and Collegiate Drinking. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2019;22(3):186-191. doi:10.1089/cyber.2018.0246
Conclusion
Depending on what is posted on Facebook, drinking behavior may increase. This was the result of the study.What do you want people to think when you're drinking? However, the desire to be satisfied by such posts is only temporary.
But the desire to be satisfied by such posts is temporary.
