Larm P, Raninen J, Åslund C, Svensson J, Nilsson KW. (2018). The increased trend of non-drinking alcohol among adolescents: What role do internet activities have? European Journal of Public Health. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/cky168
Noting the trend towards increased rates of abstinence from alcohol among adolescents in Europe, the United States, and Australia, researchers sought to examine whether adolescents are not drinking because they are spending more time using computers at home and, as a result, being monitored by parents. Researchers used data from biannual adolescent lifestyle surveys administered to all 9th grade students in a mid-sized Swedish county in 2008 (n=2,605), 2010 (n=2,439), and 2012 (n=2,405). Researchers extracted data about hours per day of total computer use, use of social media or chatting, and use of computer games, all measured on a 5-point Likert scale (<1 hour, 1-2 hours, 2-5 hours, >5 hours). Researchers compared computer use to self-reported alcohol consumption, where non-drinkers were adolescents who had not consumed alcohol in the past 12 months. Total hours of daily computer use was not significantly related to non-drinking. Hours spent using social media or chatting was significantly related to a decreased likelihood of non-drinking. Hours spent using computer games on weekends was significantly related to an increased likelihood of non-drinking. When hours of computer use were broken down into use on weekdays only, weekend days only, and both weekdays and weekend days, using computer games for more than 2 hours per day on weekend days and on both weekdays and weekend days was significantly related to increased likelihood of non-drinking.