The consumption of posts, videos, and comments on social media can increase the desire for wine and other alcoholic beverages. This is the conclusion of a study published in the journal “JAMA Pediatrics” by researchers from the Rutgers School of Public Health and Harvard University in the USA. For this, 2,000 young adults aged 18 to 24 were randomly divided into two groups. They were each shown 20 short Instagram posts from lifestyle influencers. One group saw scenes and images of alcoholic beverages and their consumption. The other received everyday content from the same influencers, but without reference to wine and alcoholic beverages. None of the videos were obvious advertisements.
In the group whose participants saw the alcohol-related content, 73 percent reported feeling a desire for an alcoholic beverage afterward. The effect was strongest among participants who had previously consumed alcohol and rated the credibility of the influencers highly. They reported feeling an increased craving for alcohol five times more often than the other participants.
The study authors point out some limitations in their conclusion. One cannot conclude from the results about actual alcohol consumption after watching corresponding videos, only about a stronger desire for it. Individuals with a stronger desire to drink may be more inclined to search online for corresponding content. And the posts shown were limited to just one social media platform, which may not reflect the popular content of other platforms. However, the study did not focus on screen time as previous studies have, but measured the effect of the viewed content. It provides clear indications that digital content can influence the behavior of young people – both positively and negatively.
(al; Image: 123rf)
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