HMN 2026: How Teens frequently encounter alcohol industry- and influencer-generated alcohol content on social media platforms

Social media platforms popular with teens regularly expose them to alcohol-related content, and often that content is created by influencers or sources in the alcohol industry. In a study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, high school students reported seeing alcohol-related content most commonly on Instagram, followed by TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat, with up to 40% of the alcohol-related content they viewed originating with influencers and up to 50% created by the alcohol industry. The frequency and sources of the content, and teens’ responses to it, varied by platform. The findings from this study may help researchers tailor interventions to prevent teen drinking, which has been linked to exposure to alcohol content in the media.

This study is the first to measure adolescents’ real-world exposure and reactions to alcohol content across a full range of media platforms. Three hundred study participants, ages 15–19, from across the U.S. were prompted multiple times throughout the day for nine weeks to report how often they encountered alcohol-related content on social media, whether and how they engaged with the content, for example, by “liking” or sharing it, who created and posted the content, and whether they felt positively or negatively about it.

Teens reported high social media use. Music platforms, Instagram and TikTok were the most popular, with more than 80% of participants reporting an hour or more a day on each. Alcohol-related social media content was most frequently encountered on Instagram, making up about one-third of reported alcohol content, followed by TikTok, with about 20%. Despite high engagement with social media, teens reported only minimal engagement with alcohol content, which typically consisted of responding to a post with a “like” or emoji. Teens’ feelings about the content varied by platform.

A significant portion of the alcohol content was created by influencers and the alcohol industry. Repeated, unrestricted exposure to alcohol-related content on social media throughout the day for years can change beliefs and behaviors around alcohol use. Content by influencers, whom teens may consider more relatable and trustworthy, may accelerate those changes. The findings of this study may help researchers design interventions to prevent teen drinking that are tailored to the platforms and content teens view.

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