Social Media and Teen Drug Use

Young people associating with drugs and alcohol is not a new topic. However, social media is offering a new and dangerous opportunity for adolescents to be exposed to drugs. Teens are vulnerable to the effects of what they see on social media, as they are highly susceptible to peer influence and pressure. Celebrities constantly post pictures of them drinking and getting high on a variety of platforms, and that influences the teens that watch. Additionally, tens aren’t only exposed to celebrities engaging in this behavior, but also their friends and families; this normalizes the behavior of overdosing on prescription drugs and binge drinking. Making teens wrongly believe it’s okay to do the same.

A study conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that teenagers who regularly use social media outlets are more likely to drink, use drugs, and buy tobacco than those who either don’t use it, or those who use it less frequently. Social media use among teens is nearly universal today. About 92% of adolescent users report checking social media more than once a day. For young, impressionable people, seeing their friends and family on Facebook posts or Instagram pictures having fun while partying can tempt them to make risky choices in an effort to fit in. For others, it can depress them so much that they turn to drugs and alcohol for solace.

“Recent studies show that 75% of teenagers seeing photos on social networking sites of other young people smoking weed or drinking alcohol encourages them to do the same.” 90% of the kids surveyed saw these types of photos before they were even 16. Nearly half of all teens who have seen such photos perceived that the kids in the photos were “having a good time.” In addition to being exposed to these activities by their peers, ads on social media can also encourage underage drinking and drug use. Through the use of social media advertising, industries are able to target youth. A study performed by Michigan University showed that people who were shown Facebook ads promoting beer were more likely to indulge in an alcoholic beverage than those who viewed bottled water ads. This shows that exposure to substance use imagery is associated with subsequent onset in use.  

Research has also shown that there is an undeniable link between social media use, negative mental health, and low self-esteem; all of which can drive underage substance abuse. When teens are struggling with emotional problems, they often turn to drugs or alcohol to deal with their trauma.  Frequently checking social media platforms and comparing oneself to others can quickly make young people feel unhappy and isolated. Not only can social media cause unhappiness and general dissatisfaction with life in its users, but also increases the risk of developing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. In fact, an estimated 27% of children who spend 3 or more hours a day on social media exhibit symptoms of poor mental health. “Children with adolescent depression know there is something wrong with them,” says Doctor Sarper Taskiran, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, “They’re not taking pleasure in things, they’re not feeling happy. So if their peers are offering a drug that makes them happy, that’s often the first thing they turn to.”

In addition to feelings of isolation and depression, social media has also been found to be associated with negative body image in teens and adults. The exposure to unrealistic beauty standards through visual platforms like Instagram can affect how teenagers perceive themselves and cause them to develop low self-esteem or eating disorders. Much like depression, individuals with low self-esteem may have trouble overcoming negative thoughts and feelings. In an effort to change those feelings or thoughts, they turn to drugs and alcohol as a means of escape. Substance use can seemingly help to quiet the negative thoughts and emotions in young users with poor mental health. However, self-medicating with drugs and alcohol only temporarily alleviates the emotions, and chronic use actually makes it worse. 

Social media continues to provide an increase for both the marketing and display of risky behaviors regarding drugs and alcohol for young people. The best way to protect children from these influences is by having open communication and educating them on the risks of substance abuse. 

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DISCLAIMER- Info from this post can be found here: https://www.addictioncenter.com/community/social-media-teen-drug-use/#:~:text=A%20study%20conducted%20by%20the,or%20used%20it%20less%20frequently.