Heavier social media use linked to more frequent drinking in young people

Heavier social media use is associated with more frequent alcohol consumption among young people in the UK, according to a new UCL study. Published today in the journal Addiction , the study found that those aged 10-15 who used social media more regularly were more likely to drink alcohol. The researchers also found a link between heavier social media use and more frequent binge drinking among young adults aged 16-19. The study authors believe that this study is the first of its kind in the UK to show that this strong correlation exists, and that this relationship also occurs across time. Researchers analysed data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (Understanding Society), collected between 2011 and 2013 on 6,782 participants, and then followed-up in 2014 to 2016 with 3,645 participants. Study respondents were grouped into two age groups, 10-15 and 16-19, and self-reported their social media usage via self-completion questionnaires filled in private, administered by trained interviewers in participants' households. Social media use was measured by asking how many hours respondents spent chatting or interacting with friends through social websites (including Facebook, Myspace and Bebo) on a normal weekday , with categories comprising 'no profile', 'non-daily use', 'less than an hour use per day', 'one to three hours' use per day', and 'four hours' use or more per day'.