Is Posting about Alcohol on Social Networking Sites Associated with Self-reported Alcohol-Induced Blackouts in a Diverse Sample of Non-College-Attending Young Adults?

Abstract

Research among young adults (YA), in samples of majority White college students, indicates links between posting about alcohol on social media and self-reported drinking behavior. We sought to extend this work by examining unique associations between public versus private posting about alcohol and the high-risk outcome of alcohol-related blackouts, among a sample of racially/ethnically diverse, non-college YA. A sample of 610 participants (74% non-White) completed an online survey about social media use and drinking behavior. Across three platforms (Twitter, Instagram, TikTok), public posting on Instagram was most common. A higher frequency of private posting about alcohol was associated with a higher frequency of past-month blackouts. Private posting on Instagram and TikTok (though not Twitter) were uniquely related to blackouts, as was public posting on TikTok. Results have implications for eventual online interventions, which can identify individuals potentially at risk for hazardous drinking, based on their social media posting behavior.