It has been found that information gleaned from Facebook and other social networking sites could help stop underage drinking.
University of Wisconsin researchers recently conducted a study of college students’ Facebook profiles in an effort to algorithmically detect signs that point to alcohol abuse.
In a clinical setting, doctors and therapists look for certain words and expressions said by their clients as an indicator of alcohol addiction. In the study, these same key words were analyzed on Facebook.
What they found was interesting. College students that had the key words in their profiles were four times as likely to have a drinking problem as fellow students who didn’t.
This study that was done was funded in part by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The findings were reported in the online edition of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
Alcohol abuse is a major problem in the nation’s campuses. There are over 1,700 alcohol related deaths every year. That is right, underage students face a higher risk for alcohol related injuries.
At present time it is hard to pinpoint which students most at risk because only 12 percent of college students will take part in accepted alcohol screenings.
It was observed that 94 to 98 percent of campus students have some type of social media profile, and the great majority check in to it on a daily basis. The research team speculated on using the social networking to spot kids at risk. So they did.
Between 2009 and 2010 they looked at online public profiles Facebook, since this network is the most popular amongst students. They looked at ages 18 to 20. These students were going to one of the state universities. They coded the Facebook profiles of 307 students. Two thirds were found to have no alcohol-related key words. One fifth did contain key words about alcohol. Sixteen percent included key words that indicated drunkenness and that showed that that person may be headed towards a drinking problem.
All 307 students were contacted and 224 later completed a standard AUDIT screening questionnaire. The results showed just over 58% of underage college students had problem drinking concerns.
Privacy settings on Facebook are tighter now than when the study was conducted, but the researchers still feel that it is a good and useful place to get information. Social media may be one good place where we can find out if some of our friends or family have a drinking problem and maybe then talk to them about it. Drug rehabs can only do their work if friends and family help the alcoholic to realize he or she has a problem.
An associate professor at Columbia University in New York made the observation that this approach is interesting but he cautioned that it will not be a substitute for tougher screening.
If you or someone you love is struggling with alcoholism, we can help. The Riverbend Retreat drug rehab program has been providing drug abuse solutions to families throughout the United States for many years.
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