The more students who see alcohol-related pages or posts on Facebook, the more likely they are to partake in binge drinking, according to a recent study authored by MSU researchers.
Saleem Alhabash and Anna McAlister, both assistant professors of advertising and public relations, spearheaded the study. The 400 student participants were asked to respond to how they felt after seeing these posts, if they would like, comment or share them, and how likely they were to drink after.
All of the participants were at least 21 years old.
“The more individuals that had intentions to like, share or comment on these alcohol status updates, the stronger their intentions to consume alcohol,” Alhabash said.
A seven point scale was used when asking participants how they felt about the images they were seeing and their intentions to consume alcohol.
"For every point increase in the expression of intentions to like, share, or comment on alcohol marketing posts, participants were 25 percent more likely to express intentions to drink after seeing these updates," Alhabash said.
The study was searching for the effects of social media marketing on Facebook for alcohol companies and advertisements based on the likes and shares the advertisement had and how it was displayed.
“For certain participants, they saw the same status update but with high number of likes and shares. What we found was that the relationship between these intentions to like, share and comment and intentions to drink are in fact stronger when the messages were more viral,” Alhabash said.
But for prenursing sophomore, Anissa Salem, the content and who liked the posts determine how likely she was to share the content.
"I think it really depends on who is posting it and who is liking it. If it is a certain community that I am not really in touch with, then it won't really have any effect on me. But if it's something that I believe in already ... then it will boost my interest," Salem said.
When there is an advertisement trying to motivate people not to binge drink next to one for Budweiser, for example, the study found that the relationship between the two results in higher drinking rates among the viewers.
Because online marketing is more accessible than other mediums, such as TV, regulating to reach only those of legal age is almost impossible.
"I don't have time to watch TV or read magazines, but I check Facebook a lot. I think it's more accessible...you don't have to take time out of your day, it's just right there on the side of your screen," said Lauren Kallabat, a law student. "You see it even if you are not trying to."
There is easy access to the content, he said. Since social networking has become a big part of young peoples daily lives, reaching them by social networking seems to be an effective marketing method.
He pointed out that there are distinctive patterns shown in research done by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that show the greatest intensity of binge drinking is among college students.
"The ads make drinking seem so sexy, so cool and I get why it's impressionable," Kallabat said. "It makes you want to drink."
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
