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Identifying Distinct Patterns of Social Media Usage During the Transition into College as Predictors of First-Year Alcohol Use and Consequences: A Latent Profile Analysis
Abstract
Social media (SM) users are a combination of several behaviors across platforms. Patterns of SM use across platforms may be a better indicator of risky drinking than individual behaviors or sets of behaviors examined previously. This longitudinal study addressed this gap in the literature using latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify subpopulations of SM users during the college transition (N=319). Indicators included in the LPA were general SM (checking, time spent, and posting to Instagram/Facebook/Snapchat; Finstagram ownership) and alcohol-related posting (alcohol, partying, and marijuana content) behaviors. LPA results revealed three SM user subpopulations at baseline: low general use with low alcohol-related posting (LGU+LAP), and high general use with low alcohol-related posting (HGU+LAP) or high alcohol-related posting (HGU+HAP). Baseline drinking, injunctive norms, and alcohol beliefs were associated with greater odds of HGU+HAP membership. Prospective analyses revealed that HGU+HAP was associated with greater alcohol use and consequences relative to HGU+LAP and LGU+LAP. Results suggest that there are distinct patterns of SM use during the college transition associated with risky drinking that can inform interventions combating SM-related alcohol risks. These findings also illustrate the importance of analyzing multiple SM user behaviors across multiple platforms simultaneously in future studies.
Background: The vast majority of adolescents and young adults are active on social networking sites (SNSs). SNSs are influential, risk-conducive environments for alcohol use among adolescents and young adults. Specifically, posting or sharing alcohol-related content (ARC) is associated with higher levels of alcohol use. However, it is unknown if sharing different types of ARC associates differentially with alcohol use and consequences. Objective: The goal of the current project was to develop a measure of the likelihood of posting key types of ARC posted by adolescents and young adults and to examine their associations with SNS use patterns and actual alcohol-related behavior. Method: Participants were 15-20 years of age (n = 306; 46.7% male; 56.6% Caucasian/White; 27.0% Asian) who completed a battery of self-report measures. Results: Results from an exploratory factor analysis revealed four types of ARC: (1) self and friend consumption, (2) memes and viral photos, (3) status updates: others' drinking and consequences, and (4) pictures: others' drinking and consequences. Conclusions: Participants' likelihood of posting self and Friend Consumption was significantly associated with heightened Snapchat use, typical drinks per week, peak drinking, and negative drinking consequences. Whereas youth appear to share more readily alcohol-related viral posts and memes, it seems that the sharing of ARC that is specifically related to the participants' own use or friends' use is salient concerning alcohol use and problems. Therefore, interventions might consider sending targeted prevention messages to individuals who share certain types of ARC which are more associated with problematic alcohol behaviors.
Background
Literature has consistently shown a positive relationship between young adults’ social media alcohol-related posts and drinking outcomes; however, the reasons for this association and the psychosocial influences behind students’ posting of alcohol-related content are still unclear. Peer influences have been robustly shown to predict students’ drinking such that students’ perceptions of their friends’ drinking is positively associated with their own drinking.
Objective
Although research has demonstrated that online and offline peer influences are robust predictors of drinking among college students, perceptions of friends’ approval and students’ drinking in relation to alcohol-related posting have yet to be explored longitudinally.
Methods
The current multi-site, multi-method study examined students (N=316; 58.7% female) from a Midwest (58.8%) and Northwest university over a 4-year period. All Facebook alcohol-related posts were coded each academic calendar year and perceived friends’ approval of drinking and students’ alcohol use were assessed annually. A lagged, random coefficients negative binomial model was specified to examine between- and within-person effects.
Results
After controlling for perceptions of friends’ alcohol-related posts, results revealed that time, drinking more, and perceiving friends as more approving of drinking were significantly and positively associated with posting alcohol-related content at the between-person level. Moreover, a significant interaction of Time X Drinking, with drinking at the between-person level, emerged such that heavier drinkers tended to post less often over time.
Conclusions
Increases in alcohol-related content posts are likely to over-inflate students’ drinking norms and their drinking. Thus, it is plausible that social media networks containing more alcohol-related content may contribute to cyclical increases in drinking for individuals within that network.
This article elucidates how some users of the app Instagram follow particular rules—shaped by the medium's material constraints and affordances as well as social norms and pressures—to get as many likes as possible. I demonstrate how my interlocutors, young adult women in the United States, strategize their Instagram usage with creative practices in an effort to successfully accrue likes. But the pressure to perform in such a way lead some of them to create secondary accounts called “fake Instagrams” where these rules could be broken and users believe they can be more authentic. I analyze the importance of likes to social media use and how this feature structures the media ideologies users hold. Demonstrating how users trade the value of likes in one mode of Instagram for the value of authenticity in another, I show that media ideologies and media switching—conventionally analyzed between media—occur within them as well. These ideologies determine how users project different selves within a single medium, selves which are in dialogue with one another on social media.
Guided by the frameworks of niche and polymedia theories, this study sought to understand the phenomenon of platform-swinging on social media, which refers to the routine use of multiple social media platforms that has become commonplace across different ages. Based on focus group discussions (FGDs) with 62 social media users in Singapore, this study found that social media users engage in platform-swinging for relationship management and self-presentation gratifications. While these gratifications are also served by individual social media platforms, platform-swinging allows social media users to navigate structural, social, and norm barriers to obtain greater gratification opportunities. This has implications on how social media users subsequently regard and segment their personal relationships.
Background
In 2015, 90% of US young adults with Internet access used social media. Digital and social media are highly prevalent modalities through which young adults explore identity formation, and by extension, learn and transmit norms about health and risk behaviors during this developmental life stage.
Objective
The purpose of this study was to provide updated estimates of social media use from 2014 to 2016 and correlates of social media use and access to digital technology in data collected from a national sample of US young adults in 2016.
Methods
Young adult participants aged 18-24 years in Wave 7 (October 2014, N=1259) and Wave 9 (February 2016, N=989) of the Truth Initiative Young Adult Cohort Study were asked about use frequency for 11 social media sites and access to digital devices, in addition to sociodemographic characteristics. Regular use was defined as using a given social media site at least weekly. Weighted analyses estimated the prevalence of use of each social media site, overlap between regular use of specific sites, and correlates of using a greater number of social media sites regularly. Bivariate analyses identified sociodemographic correlates of access to specific digital devices.
Results
In 2014, 89.42% (weighted n, 1126/1298) of young adults reported regular use of at least one social media site. This increased to 97.5% (weighted n, 965/989) of young adults in 2016. Among regular users of social media sites in 2016, the top five sites were Tumblr (85.5%), Vine (84.7%), Snapchat (81.7%), Instagram (80.7%), and LinkedIn (78.9%). Respondents reported regularly using an average of 7.6 social media sites, with 85% using 6 or more sites regularly. Overall, 87% of young adults reported access or use of a smartphone with Internet access, 74% a desktop or laptop computer with Internet access, 41% a tablet with Internet access, 29% a smart TV or video game console with Internet access, 11% a cell phone without Internet access, and 3% none of these. Access to all digital devices with Internet was lower in those reporting a lower subjective financial situation; there were also significant differences in access to specific digital devices with Internet by race, ethnicity, and education.
Conclusions
The high mean number of social media sites used regularly and the substantial overlap in use of multiple social media sites reflect the rapidly changing social media environment. Mobile devices are a primary channel for social media, and our study highlights disparities in access to digital technologies with Internet access among US young adults by race/ethnicity, education, and subjective financial status. Findings from this study may guide the development and implementation of future health interventions for young adults delivered via the Internet or social media sites.
The current research explores differences between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat in terms of intensity of use, time spent daily on the platform, and use motivations. The study applies the uses and gratifications (U&G) approach to contrast the four platforms. A cross-sectional survey of college students (N = 396) asked participants to indicate the intensity of using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat as well as nine different use motivations. Findings show that participants spent the most time daily on Instagram, followed by Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter, respectively. They also indicated the highest use intensity for Snapchat and Instagram (nearly equally), followed by Facebook and Twitter, respectively. With regard to use motivations, Snapchat takes the lead in five of the nine motivations. Findings are discussed in relation to the U&G approach and uniqueness of different social media and social networking sites (SNSs).
Researchers using latent class (LC) analysis often proceed using the following three steps: (1) an LC model is built for a set of response variables, (2) subjects are assigned to LCs based on their posterior class membership probabilities, and (3) the association between the assigned class membership and external variables is investigated using simple cross-tabulations or multinomial logistic regression analysis. Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars (2004) demonstrated that such a three-step approach underestimates the associations between covariates and class membership. They proposed resolving this problem by means of a specific correction method that involves modifying the third step. In this article, I extend the correction method of Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars by showing that it involves maximizing a weighted log-likelihood function for clustered data. This conceptualization makes it possible to apply the method not only with categorical but also with continuous explanatory variables, to obtain correct tests using complex sampling variance estimation methods, and to implement it in standard software for logistic regression analysis. In addition, a new maximum likelihood (ML)—based correction method is proposed, which is more direct in the sense that it does not require analyzing weighted data. This new three-step ML method can be easily implemented in software for LC analysis. The reported simulation study shows that both correction methods perform very well in the sense that their parameter estimates and their SEs can be trusted, except for situations with very poorly separated classes. The main advantage of the ML method compared with the Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars approach is that it is much more efficient and almost as efficient as one-step ML estimation.
This article reports the development and validation of the College Life Alcohol Salience Scale (CLASS), which assesses college students' beliefs about the centrality of alcohol to the college experience. Developed using procedures designed to increase its ecological validity, the CLASS was administered to three samples of college students (total N = 571). Its unidimensional factor structure was first established via exploratory factor analysis and parallel analysis on one sample and then verified via confirmatory factor analysis on a separate sample. Scores on the CLASS were predictably related to a nomological network of drinking and personality variables and it provided incremental validity in accounting for drinking frequency and amount, when added to drinking motive scores. The importance of assessing and developing interventions to target the types of beliefs measured by the CLASS is discussed.
A robust finding is the positive association between self-generated alcohol-related content (SG-ARC) on social media (SM) and drinking among emerging adults; however, the reasons for this relationship are still unclear. A factor that has yet to be explored in combination with SG-ARC is how viewing others' alcohol-related content (ARC) may be impacting young adults' drinking. This cross-sectional study conducted across two universities asked students (N = 780; M = 20.80 years old; SD = 2.29; 67.82% female) to self-report how many SG-ARC posts they posted, to estimate how much they saw others' ARC, and how much they drank weekly. SG-ARC was then evaluated as a moderator of the association between viewing others' ARC and drinking. A negative binomial regression model with robust sandwich estimators was employed. Results revealed that both SG-ARC and viewing others' ARC were positively associated with drinking. A significant two-way interaction between SG-ARC and others' ARC emerged such that viewing others' posts appeared to exert an influence on drinking, particularly for students who did not post as many SG-ARC posts. These findings provide evidence that seeing others' ARC may be socially influencing students to drink, especially if they do not post as much SG-ARC themselves, by altering their internalized drinking norms.
College students’ alcohol-related social networking site (SNS) usage is associated with alcohol problems; however, individual factors that increase this risk are less understood. We posit the degree to which students experience alcohol problems related to their SNS usage hinges upon how skillfully they manage their communication on SNS. As such, we focus on how SNS competence predicts students’ SNS usage and subsequent alcohol problems. We analyzed data collected from 364 undergraduate students and found support for SNS competence serving a moderating role between alcohol-related SNS behavior and alcohol problems. SNS competence—appropriateness in particular—buffers against the negative effects of alcohol-related SNS use. Our research offers several theoretical implications and practical applications for social media literacy-based drinking interventions.
Drinking identity is a component of identity that is associated with heavier drinking and more negative alcohol-related consequences. Social identity is displayed through social networking sites, which are being used on a daily basis by millions of young adults. The current research provides insight into understanding for whom social network sites are more strongly associated with alcohol use by examining the potentially interactive effects of Facebook use and drinking identity. We explored whether the association between alcohol-related posts on Facebook and drinking differs based on the extent to which students identify with drinking. Undergraduates (N=109) provided researchers access to their Facebook profile before completing an online survey assessing their drinking identity and alcohol use (i.e., drinks per week, frequency, typical drinking, peak drinks). Their previous 100 Facebook posts (e.g., status updates, photos) were coded for alcohol-related content. Results using negative binomial regression analyses indicated significant interactions between alcohol-related Facebook posts and drinking identity in predicting all indicators of alcohol use. The direction of the simple effects suggested that the association between alcohol-related Facebook posts and drinking was stronger for individuals with lower drinking identity. Findings extend the literature on risk for drinking by incorporating social network use and drinking identity and suggest that future interventions utilizing social networks may wish to target those at traditionally lower risk. Implications and future directions are discussed.
This article discusses alternatives to single-step mixture modeling. A 3-step method for latent class predictor variables is studied in several different settings, including latent class analysis, latent transition analysis, and growth mixture modeling. It is explored under violations of its assumptions such as with direct effects from predictors to latent class indicators. The 3-step method is also considered for distal variables. The Lanza, Tan, and Bray (2013) method for distal variables is studied under several conditions including violations of its assumptions. Standard errors are also developed for the Lanza method because these were not given in Lanza et al. (2013).
Objective:
This study investigated whether self-reports of alcohol-related postings on Facebook by oneself or one's Facebook friends were related to common motives for drinking and were uniquely predictive of self-reported alcohol outcomes (alcohol consumption, problems, and cravings).
Method:
Pacific Northwest undergraduates completed a survey of alcohol outcomes, drinking motives, and alcohol-related Facebook postings. Participants completed the survey online as part of a larger study on alcohol use and cognitive associations. Participants were randomly selected through the university registrar's office and consisted of 1,106 undergraduates (449 men, 654 women, 2 transgender, 1 declined to answer) between the ages of 18 and 25 years (M = 20.40, SD = 1.60) at a large university in the Pacific Northwest. Seven participants were excluded from analyses because of missing or suspect data.
Results:
Alcohol-related postings on Facebook were significantly correlated with social, enhancement, conformity, and coping motives for drinking (all ps < .001). After drinking motives were controlled for, self-alcohol-related postings independently and positively predicted the number of drinks per week, alcohol-related problems, risk of alcohol use disorders, and alcohol cravings (all ps < .001). In contrast, friends' alcohol-related postings only predicted the risk of alcohol use disorders (p < .05) and marginally predicted alcohol-related problems (p = .07).
Conclusions:
Posting alcohol-related content on social media platforms such as Facebook is associated with common motivations for drinking and is, in itself, a strong predictive indicator of drinking outcomes independent of drinking motives. Moreover, self-related posting activity appears to be more predictive than Facebook friends' activity. These findings suggest that social media platforms may be a useful target for future preventative and intervention efforts.
Alcohol is a key component of identity exploration for many young people, yet few studies have investigated identity construction in relation to problematic drinking. Increases in youth alcohol consumption have coincided with expanding use of communications technologies, particularly social networking sites (SNS), which have altered traditional conditions of identity construction. It has been found young people often engage with alcohol in the SNS environment by portraying themselves as binge drinkers. The current study applied an innovative approach to identity construction (the photographic essay) to provide insight into the portrayal of ‘alcohol-identity’ on Facebook.
One hundred and fifty-eight university students completed a range of alcohol measures before providing access for researchers to view their Facebook profiles to operationalise their alcohol-identity according to autophotographic methodology.
Participants utilised a variety of photographic and textual material to present alcohol as a component of their identity on Facebook, with over half having selected an alcohol-related profile image. Alcohol-identity predicted alcohol consumption and problematic alcohol-related behaviours as measured by questionnaires used to reliably identify alcohol-related problems in university students. Almost 60% reported potentially problematic alcohol use according to the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test.
Findings suggest that portraying oneself as a drinker is considered by many young people to be a socially desirable component of identity in the SNS environment, perpetuating an online culture that normalises binge drinking. Ready-made Facebook photo essays provide an alternate method of accessing problematic alcohol use, supplementing self-report measures.
Individual drinking patterns and the perceived typical drinking patterns of close friends and reference groups were assessed in two different studies with college students. In both studies virtually all students reported that their friends drank more than they did. These effects were found across different levels of individual drinking, within different types of samples, across gender of subjects and with different types of questionnaire assessment. In addition, students' estimates of typical or average drinking within their own social living groups were significantly higher than average drinking within the group estimated from self-reports. Because of the consistent, asymmetrical pattern of reports of self and other drinking, it was interpreted that reports of others' drinking were exaggerated. These biases were particularly evident within organized social groups (i.e., fraternities and sororities) but were minimal in reference to "students in general" or "people in general." Results are discussed in terms of cognitive and motivational factors that potentially could promote or excuse excessive drinking practices among college students.
This research was designed to evaluate the relative contribution of social norms, demographics, drinking motives, and alcohol expectancies in predicting alcohol consumption and related problems among heavy-drinking college students.
Participants included 818 (57.6% women) first-year undergraduates who reported at least one heavy-drinking episode in the previous month. In addition to providing demographic information (gender and fraternity/sorority membership) participants completed Web-based assessments of social norms (perceived descriptive norms regarding typical student drinking, injunctive norms regarding friends' and parents' approval), motives (social, enhancement, coping, and conformity), and expectancies and evaluations of positive and negative alcohol effects.
Regression results indicated that descriptive and injunctive norms were among the best predictors of college student drinking. With respect to alcohol problems, results indicated that coping motives accounted for the largest proportion of unique variance. Finally, results revealed that alcohol consumption mediated the relationships between predictors and problems for social norms, whereas coping motives, negative expectancies, and evaluation of negative effects were directly associated with alcohol problems despite having relatively weak or null unique associations with consumption.
The results of this study substantiate social norms as being among the best predictors of alcohol consumption in this population and suggest that drinking to cope is a better predictor of problems. The findings are discussed in terms of practical prevention and treatment implications.
Step-3 tutorial #1: Step-3 models with covariates, distal outcomes, and multiple latent variables
- Z Bakk
- J K Vermunt
Bakk Z, Vermunt JK. 2015. Step-3 tutorial #1: Step-3 models with covariates, distal outcomes,
and multiple latent variables.
Share of U.S. adults using social media, including Facebook, is mostly unchanged since 2018
- A Perrin
- M Anderson
Perrin A, Anderson M. 2019. Share of U.S. adults using social media, including Facebook, is
mostly unchanged since 2018. PEW Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2019/04/10/share-of-u-s-adults-using-social-media-including-facebook-is-mostlyunchanged-since-2018/