Let’s face it – social media plays way too important a role in many people’s lives. For some, it is an addiction like any other – as bad as cocaine or heroin.
In a typical day, more than 17 million teenagers nationwide are using it, and many have made dozens of friends in the process. But who knew social networking, a medium that has revolutionized how people relate to each other, is leading them to use drugs more?
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, that's who.
Its’ recent found that the problem had grown among teens ages 12-17 who had been engaged by "pictures on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace or other social networking sites of kids getting drunk, passed out or using drugs."
After performing two surveys on more than 2,000 teens and a survey of more than 500 of their parents, the results show that teens who use social networking websites are five times likelier to use tobacco, three times likelier to drink alcohol and twice as likely to smoke marijuana.
If you look at something like Facebook, which was initially launched for an older population. You saw more college students on that website. Over time, it became more popular with high school students who had initially gravitated more to some of the other social media websites.
'Tune In, Drop Out'
Though social networking has played a role in furthering drug abuse among teens, as the study found it’s not the only cultural medium to do so.
This Scares the **** Out of Me
Thirty-two percent of the teens surveyed watch reality shows like Jersey Shore, Teen Mom or 16 and Pregnant, according to the study. Compared to teens who don't watch the “suggestive” programming, teens who usually watch one or more each week are twice as likely to use tobacco and nearly twice as likely to drink alcohol.
Sadly, I think in our culture that we've created a myth that alcohol is connected to having fun. When, in essence, it's very much connected to people being very narrow, having accidents and sometimes losing their lives.
The key is to be honest, direct and make sure [parents] tell their teens what they expect them not to do. Parents struggle with sending a direct message about alcohol and drug use, but that's what young people need: a clear message.