Online Socializing and Offline Alcohol Usage: Influence of Daily Social Media Usage on the Level of Alcohol Usage among Students at a Non-state University in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Alcohol misuse can affect both the individual and society negatively. Specifically, young adults exhibit close associations with alcohol and social media. Previous studies demonstrate that online alcohol advertising promotes young people using social media to consume alcohol. This study examines the relationship between alcohol use among young adults and their usage of social media in the Sri Lankan context and any differences between levels of alcohol consumption among males and females. 300 students from a non-state university in Sri Lanka between the ages of 18 and 25 participated in a cross-sectional study conducted via online survey. Correlation and independent-sample t-test were used for data analysis. There was no significant relationship between daily social media use and alcohol use among young adults in Sri Lanka. A significant difference was observed between the level of alcohol use among males and females. Young adults in Sri Lanka are significantly influenced by a variety of sociocultural influences in their use of social media and alcohol intake. The use of social media in Sri Lanka and various alcohol-related behaviours among young people should be the subject of exploratory research, thus according to researchers. Keywords: Alcohol misuse; Social media; Young adults; psycho-social factors; motivation