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Social Media Alcohol

Britons sober up as social media leaves nowhere to hide

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By John Glenday, Reporter

July 16, 2015 | 2 min read

Britons are increasingly turning their backs on alcohol in tandem with growth in social media, according to new research compiled by the Demos think tank.

It found that reputational concerns heightened by the prevalence of still and video recording devices is having a sobering effect on younger people, wary of their drunken antics being posted on Facebook.

The survey showed a decline in the consumption of alcohol amongst younger age groups with 19 per cent of 16-24 year olds being tee total and 66 per cent stating that alcohol is not critical to their social lives.

Asked why this was the case four in ten of the young people quizzed cited social media as the primary deterrence and distraction.

Report co-author Ian Wybron commented: “Overall, 42 per cent of the young people we surveyed felt that the Internet and platforms such as Facebook have given young people more things to fill their time.

“What's more, 29 per cent of young people cited concerns about their online reputations as contributing to the decline in youth alcohol consumption - showing an increasing awareness of the 'shareability' of social media could be encouraging them to steer away from excessive drinking.”

Other factors remain in play to limit alcohol consumption however, not least concerns over health and a lack of money to pay for drink.

Social Media Alcohol

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