A Conditional Process Analysis on the Relationship Between the Use of Social Networking Sites, Attitudes, Peer Norms, and Adolescents' Intentions to Consume Alcohol

Abstract

Visiting social networking sites has become an important part of adolescents' leisure activities. The current cross-sectional survey ( n = 674) of adolescents aged 13–16 years aimed to examine a conditional process model on the relationships between adolescents' use of social networking sites and their descriptive /injunctive peer norms, attitudes, and intentions regarding alcohol use. First, the results support that exposure to alcohol-related content on social networking sites predicts respondents' descriptive and injunctive norms on alcohol use. Adolescents who are more frequently exposed to alcohol-related content believe that a higher number of their friends consume alcohol and that this use is socially acceptable. These descriptive and injunctive norms were positively associated with adolescents' drinking intentions. Second, the results support that the relationship between injunctive norms and intentions is stronger for respondents being more frequently exposed to alcohol-related messages on Facebook. Overall, the results shed more light on the complex associations between social networking sites, alcohol use, and the role of peers in this relationship.