Kids who have problems with alcohol or drugs should stay away from Facebook, according to a new study from the University of California/Los Angeles. Researchers found that teens already being treated for substance abuse disorders were far more likely to crave their drug of choice after perusing friends’ social media pages: 66 percent more likely, in fact. The reason? Scientists say it’s all tied to peer influence and peer pressure. Scientists have long known that friends exact a massive influence on whether a youth uses drugs; when so many people congregate on social networks, that influence grows exponentially. “Social media is peer pressure gone viral,” says Jill Backfield, executive director of Clinical Services of New York Center for Living. Conversations can turn to drinking or drugs readily on Facebook and other networks, which triggers a desire in the user to partake and not miss out on anything. Other studies suggest those who are addicted to social media are three times more likely to abuse alcohol and twice as likely to abuse drugs. (International Business Times)
Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.