Problematic Social Media Use a Predictor of Binge-drinking Behavior Among Adolescents?

Abstract

Adolescents’ risk behavior and the results of it are a global health concern. Previous research reported on potential associations between different types of risk behavior, such as between problematic social media use (PSMU) and binge-drinking. However, insights on how this link exactly manifests are limited. This study aims to increase the insights into this potential link by including a potential moderator, namely parental monitoring. Parental monitoring is known to be a protective factor for both PSMU and problematic drinking behavior. The LEF data was used to test our hypothesized model. The sample that was used, included (N= 2103) adolescents aged 11 till 18 (M = 14.68, SD = 1.33). Based on the results of this study it was concluded that adolescents who have symptoms of PSMU are more likely to engage in binge drinking, which was in line with the expectations of this study. Parental monitoring did not moderate the relation between PSMU and binge-drinking, which was not in line with the expectations of this study. In addition, high parental monitoring seemed to be related to less binge-drinking. The findings of this study underline the importance of more research regarding the relation between PSMU and binge-drinking. Additionally, it gives information on how parents could deal with risk-behavior.