High social media use is significantly associated with increased odds of alcohol use among adolescents, according to a new study. Findings from the study will be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2026 Meeting, taking place April 24-27 in Boston.
“Researchers at Northwell Health conducted a study to better understand how today’s rapidly evolving social media landscape may be associated with substance use behaviors among adolescents,” said Neel Sharma, research intern at Northwell Health and lead author of the study. “Using nationally representative data, we found that adolescents with the highest levels of social media use had more than triple the odds of recent alcohol use compared to non-users. These findings suggest that social media environments may play a role in exposure to alcohol-related content and behaviors highlighting the need for efforts focused on digital literacy and helping adolescents navigate online spaces more safely.”
As social media becomes a bigger part of adolescents’ lives, they may be exposed to content promoting underage drinking. Although prior studies have examined associations between social media use and alcohol use, many were conducted before the rise of platforms like TikTok or used small sample sizes. To better understand this relationship, more current, large-scale, national data is needed. Researchers examined the association between social media use and alcohol use among U.S. high school students, and whether this relationship varied by grade, sex, race/ethnicity or sexuality.
Chi square analysis showed 28.0% of students with high social media use reported alcohol use, vs. 19.7% (moderate use), 13.2% (low use), and 9.2% (no use) (p < .001). In the adjusted regression, high social media use was associated with 3.15 times higher odds of alcohol use compared to no use (p < .001). Moderate use was associated with 1.72 times higher odds of alcohol use (p=.003), while low use was not significantly associated (p=.336). Interaction models showed the association between social media use and alcohol use did not significantly differ by grade, sex or race/ethnicity. However, students who identified as gay/lesbian had greater odds of alcohol use at both moderate (p=.006) and high (p < .001) social media levels.
These findings emphasize the need for further research into how digital depictions of alcohol shape youth health outcomes.
Additional information is included in the below research abstract. The PAS Meeting connects thousands of leading pediatric researchers, clinicians and educators worldwide. View the full schedule in the PAS 2026 program guide. For more information about the PAS Meeting, please visit www.pas-meeting.org.
Abstract: Social Media Use and Alcohol Consumption Among U.S. High School Students: Insights from the 2023 YRBSS
Presenting Author
Neel Sharma, Research Intern, Northwell Health
Organization
Northwell Health
Topic
Adolescent Medicine: Substance Use
Background
As social media becomes a bigger part of adolescents’ lives, they may be exposed to content promoting underage drinking. Although prior studies have examined associations between social media use and alcohol use, many were conducted before the rise of platforms like TikTok or used small sample sizes. To better understand this relationship, more current, large-scale, national data is needed.
Objective
To examine the association between social media use and alcohol use among U.S. high school students, and whether this relationship varies by grade, sex, race/ethnicity, or sexuality.
Design/Methods
Data from the 2023 National Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS), a school-based, cross-sectional survey was analyzed. Alcohol use was defined as any use in the past 30 days (Q46; yes=1, no=0). Social media use (Q90) was categorized as No Use, Low Use (a few times/month-a few times/week), Moderate Use (once/day-several times/day), and High Use (1+ times/hour). The full sample had 20,103 students, with 14,682 having complete data for Q46 and Q90 for the chi-square analysis. A binary logistic regression tested the association between social media and alcohol use, controlling for sex, grade, race/ethnicity, and sexuality. The adjusted model had 13,251 complete responses for all variables: alcohol use, social media use, sex (Q2), grade (Q3), race/ethnicity (Q4, Q5), and sexuality (Q15). To test subgroup differences, interaction terms between social media use and each demographic variable were also tested.
Results
Chi square analysis showed 28.0% of students with high social media use reported alcohol use, vs. 19.7% (moderate use), 13.2% (low use), and 9.2% (no use) (p < .001). In the adjusted regression, high social media use was associated with 3.15 times higher odds of alcohol use compared to no use (p < .001) [Figure 1]. Moderate use was associated with 1.72 times higher odds of alcohol use (p=.003), while low use was not significantly associated (p=.336) [Figure 2]. Interaction models showed the association between social media use and alcohol use did not significantly differ by grade, sex, or race/ethnicity. However, students who identified as gay/lesbian had greater odds of alcohol use at both moderate (p=.006) and high (p < .001) social media levels.
Conclusion(s)
High social media use was significantly associated with increased odds of alcohol use among adolescents. This relationship was more pronounced for gay and lesbian youth. These findings emphasize the need for further research into how digital depictions of alcohol shape youth health outcomes.
Co-Authors
Caroline Howard, Visiting Scholar, Northwell Health
Lillian M. Ravikoff, Visiting Scholar, Northwell Health
Joseph Mekhail, Visiting Scholar, Northwell Health
Ruth Milanaik, DO, Associate Professor, Northwell Health
Tables and Images
Figure 1. Alcohol use Increases with Greater Social Media Use
Figure 2. Adjusted Odds Ratios for Alcohol use by Social Media Use Group
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