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It’s the Content That Counts: Longitudinal Associations between Social Media Use, Parental Monitoring, and Alcohol Use in an Australian Sample of Adolescents Aged 13 to 16 Years

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  • Anna Smout

    (The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
    Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia)

  • Cath Chapman

    (The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia)

  • Marius Mather

    (Sydney Informatics Hub, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2008, Australia)

  • Tim Slade

    (The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia)

  • Maree Teesson

    (The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia)

  • Nicola Newton

    (The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia)

Abstract

(1) Background: More time spent on social media has been linked to increased alcohol use, with exposure to peer alcohol-related content on social media (content exposure) named as a critical factor in this relationship. Little is currently known about whether early content exposure may have lasting effects across adolescent development, or about the capacity of parental monitoring of social media use to interrupt these links. (2) Methods: These gaps were addressed in both cross-sectional and longitudinal contexts among a longitudinal sample of Australian secondary school students ( n = 432) across the ages of 13–16. (3) Results: Evidence was found for links between social media use and alcohol use frequency in early development. Social media time at age 13 was significantly associated with concurrent alcohol use frequency. At age 13, alcohol use frequency was significantly higher among those who reported content exposure compared to those who reported no exposure. Longitudinally, the frequency of alcohol use over time increased at a faster rate among participants who reported content exposure at age 13. In terms of parental monitoring, no longitudinal effects were observed. However, parental monitoring at age 13 did significantly reduce the concurrent relationship between alcohol use frequency and content exposure. (4) Conclusion: The impact of social media content exposure on alcohol use in adolescence may be more important than the time spent on social media, and any protective effect of parental monitoring on content exposure may be limited to the time it is being concurrently enacted.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Smout & Cath Chapman & Marius Mather & Tim Slade & Maree Teesson & Nicola Newton, 2021. "It’s the Content That Counts: Longitudinal Associations between Social Media Use, Parental Monitoring, and Alcohol Use in an Australian Sample of Adolescents Aged 13 to 16 Years," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-10, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:14:p:7599-:d:595854
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Amy Orben & Andrew K. Przybylski, 2019. "The association between adolescent well-being and digital technology use," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 3(2), pages 173-182, February.
    2. Megan A. Moreno & Jon D’Angelo & Jennifer Whitehill, 2016. "Social Media and Alcohol: Summary of Research, Intervention Ideas and Future Study Directions," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(3), pages 50-59.
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