Exploring the Role of Social Networking Sites in Alcohol Consumption among College Students: Which Platforms Have the Greatest Influence?

ABSTRACT

Excessive alcohol use among college students is associated with a host of deleterious physical, mental, and academic outcomes. Social Networking Sites (SNS) are thought to influence norms around alcohol consumption, leading to increased college student drinking. We utilized a sample of 330 college students to investigate the effects of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat on college student drinking behavior. Only Snapchat use was associated with college student drinking even while controlling for confounders such as the amount of time spent on SNS. Interventions attempting to lower college student drinking should focus on Snapchat to have the most effective platform.

KEYWORDS:

• Social Networking Sites
• College Students
• Alcohol Use
• Snapchat

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.