How Social Media Is Influencing Drinking Habits in 2024

Back in 2019, White Claw hard seltzer took the internet by storm. Social media was flooded with memes, videos, and tweets about the drink, including the catchphrase “Ain’t no laws when you’re drinking Claws.”

And while it’s safe to say that most of us wouldn’t take this bit of social media influence literally, the Norwood, Ohio, Police Department wasn’t taking any chances. The agency responded with their own Facebook post saying “Ain’t no laws when you’re drinking claws” wouldn’t hold up in court and wasn’t a valid defense for whatever mischief you might get into after throwing back a few cans.

Social media influence expands into nearly all aspects of our life. As writer Ana Claudia Antunes observes, “Facebook asks me what’s on my mind. Twitter asks me what’s going on. LinkedIn wants me to reconnect with my colleagues. And YouTube tells me what to watch.” And if the content is about alcohol, it’s easy to fall into the trap of glamorizing booze along with our favorite influencers.

That said, when it comes to drinking habits, social media isn’t necessarily the “bad guy” planting unhealthy seeds in our minds. How has social media impacted society over the years? And what are the latest trends? Let’s explore how social media influences our drinking habits in 2024, contributing both to the “Drinkstagram” culture on one extreme and the “trending” sober curious movement on the other.

Booze Goes Online: Social Media Impacts on Drinking Habits

In the Digital Age, recording every aspect of our lives is easier than ever. And in the words of Graydon Carter, “Recorders also tend to be oversharers, and with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest, they can do so on a grand scale.” And one of the main topics that gets overshared? You guessed it — drinking.

“Hey Everyone, I’m Drunk!”

As more and more of us were able to get our hands on devices to record and share our Friday night pub crawls and drunken shenanigans, alcohol-related content went viral. In the early years, many of the trends glamorized alcohol and minimized its dangers: booze and social media formed a devious pair that made it all too easy to fall into unhealthy drinking habits. (However, stay tuned for some powerful shifts in a healthier direction!) 

Here are a few notable trends:

• Early alcohol-related content tended to be booze-positive. In 2014, a research team published a study titled “‘Hey Everyone, I'm Drunk.’ An Evaluation of Drinking-Related Twitter Chatter.” They found that pro-alcohol Tweets outnumbered anti-alcohol Tweets by more than a factor of 10, with many of those 280-character nuggets glamorizing heavy drinking or talking about wanting, needing, or planning to drink.
• Drunk and blackout tweeting became a thing. A team of scientists analyzed 3.5 million blackout Tweets (ones that didn’t ring a bell the next morning) and 591 million alcohol Tweets (ones that did) written between 2009 and 2020. While these numbers alone should give us pause, there were some additional trends behind them. Both drunk and blackout tweeting peaked in the evenings and mostly happened on weekends. Blackout tweets also clustered around Thanksgiving, contributing to the boozy fallout of Blackout Wednesday.
• Viral booze challenges appeared on the scene. In the mid-2000s, some YouTube content creators took beer chugging to a new level. One guy attempted to down six beers in 40 seconds by using a leaf blower in a “beer chug” challenge. Others took to Twitter’s equally dangerous “Neknominate” challenge, which called for participants to knock back a pint of beer in a single gulp and “nominate” someone else to do the same.
• Wine moms took to the web. The “wine mom” trend emerged on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, with memes and posts humorously depicting wine as a go-to remedy for the stresses of parenting. Phrases like “mommy juice” and “It’s wine o’clock” became popular, normalizing potentially dangerous drinking habits.
• “Quarantine cocktails” sprung up during COVID. In those uncertain and isolating days of the pandemic, drinking skyrocketed and the number of alcohol-related deaths rose by 38%, climbing from 78,927 to 108,791 from 2020 to 2022. Unfortunately, social media played a role: cooped up inside, many people were bitten by the mixology bug, flooding social media platforms with their “quarantini” recipes. And the alcohol industry jumped on the opportunity: with many people spending more time than ever online, social media advertising of booze spiked as well. One study found that liquor companies took to Instagram and Facebook during the pandemic years, leading to higher consumption rates. Plus, home delivery of alcohol didn’t help matters! 
• Alcohol education also went digital. At the same time, social media also created unique opportunities for alcohol education and interventions. The very nature of social media — its accessibility and appeal to the younger generation — made it a fertile ground for planting the seeds of change. And there’s research that says it works!

Want to dive deeper into the subject? Check out “How Social Media Has Influenced Drinking Behaviors.” For now, let’s dive deeper into the science behind the way social media affects us.

The Science Behind Social Media and Drinking

Since the earliest days of social media (MySpace, anyone?), scientists have been studying its effects on our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. And yes, some of the research has focused on the way it affects our drinking patterns.

• Portrayal of alcohol in social media can take a toll on mental health. As writer Rajiv Malhotra observes, “In an era of instant access, social media has confused people between knowledge, opinion and popularity; whatever is popular is assumed to be true.” Seeing alcohol glamorized on social media has been linked to dangerous drinking patterns. Moreover, seeing the highlight reel (as opposed to the aftermath or anything less Instagram-worthy going on behind the scenes) of parties and boozy vacations can lead to FOMO (fear of missing out), isolation, and drinking alone.
• Young people are especially vulnerable. Back in the day, Big Tobacco targeted the young with full force: Philip Morris based its strategy on the fact that “today’s teenager is tomorrow’s potential regular consumer.” And while smoking is no longer “cool,” underage drinking has been rampant. Science shows that young people are especially vulnerable to social media’s influence on alcohol use, with research indicating that adolescents are more likely to engage in risky drinking patterns after seeing it on various platforms. One study found that posting alcohol-related tweets is common among youngsters, and that doing so is associated with higher — and riskier — drinking levels. Another discovered that daily Facebook and Instagram use in particular was linked to dangerous drinking patterns in American, Finnish, South Korean, and Spanish youths.
• Drinking and posting is a two-way street. Social media posts might nudge us toward a drink, but posting under the influence is a force in itself. “Drunk tweeting” can result in impulsive posts we might later regret, and while we can delete posts, screenshots are forever! Plus, we might share personal information we’d think twice about before announcing through a digital loudspeaker when sober. And since alcohol is notorious for causing memory gaps, we might wake up to an unpleasant surprise the next day with no recollection of setting it in motion. (A classic example? Charlie Sheen accidentally posting his real phone number in a 2011 Tweet.)
• Drinking and social media form an addictive tag team. Social media itself can be addictive. As Cliff Jones Jr. writes in Dreck, ​​“I can’t disconnect, you know? It’s like a drug. For one reason or another, I keep coming back.” And, of course, so is booze. By artificially boosting the neurotransmitter dopamine, alcohol hijacks our brain’s reward system, making it easy to get hooked. With both alcohol and social media in the picture, the pleasure-seeking drive gets that much stronger.
• Both can throw a wrench in our social life if we’re not careful. In the words of writer Mouloud Benzadi, “In the age of social media, friends are like snowflakes. They descend in their thousands. They disappear in seconds.” And the same is true about alcohol: although many see it as “social glue,” studies show that it’s not conducive to healthy interactions or lasting bonds.
• Social media can also be used as a tool for change. It’s not all doom and gloom! Research shows that social media can be used to spread the word on the risks of drinking and encourage healthier patterns, especially among youth.

For more information check out “Understanding the Impact of Social Media on Drinking Habits and How to Navigate It.” But now let’s jump forward in time and look at where we are today when it comes to social media influence on the alcohol industry and on our drinking patterns in 2024.

Social Media Influence: Where We Are Today

Today, social media is still a mixed bag — but one that’s filled with more promising content. Some voices continue to glamorize alcohol and encourage us to partake. However, social media is also fueling the sober curious movement, the mocktail craze, and other trends that are helping reshape our relationship with booze.

1. Liquor Still Gets Instagram “Likes” — but Sobriety Is Trending

Instagram these days has many faces. On one hand, it can still spell trouble when it comes to how alcohol gets portrayed:

• Drinkstagram is still going strong. As the name suggests, “Drinkstagram” culture is all about using social media — Instagram in particular — to post alcohol-related content, whether that’s partying or showing off new alcoholic drinks or new liquors. And in 2024, it’s still going strong. We still have many “alcohol influencers” out there.
• Influencers promote specific brands. It’s not just about posting jewel-toned martinis and sleek wine bottles — there’s a marketing element in “Drinkstagram” culture. Some influencers promote certain types of alcohol, creating a sense of community around booze while putting extra cash in their own pockets. Celebrity alcohol brands are also growing in popularity.

That said, things are also changing — sobriety is trending! In fact, some rising Instagram voices are part of the alcohol-free (or sober curious) community. Here are some examples: 

• Russell Brand tops the list. With 4.2 million followers, writer, comedian, and motivational coach Russell Brand is helping balance out “Drinkstagram” culture with alcohol recovery stories and advice.
• “Sober moms” are on the rise. For every “wine mom” out there, there’s a “sober mom” ready to help others stay on track.
• Laura Van Antwerp is “your sober pal.” Founder of “Your Sober Pal Adventures” and author of “Your Sober Pal Affirmation Card Deck,” Laura Van Antwerp is the master of bite-size sobriety inspiration. Here’s one of her favorites: “I embrace the authentic magic of life by not numbing or enhancing the moment with alcohol.”
• Mocktail masters are creating a splash. Mocktail-focused accounts are helping make mocktails fun, contributing to this healthy alternative to booze.

Are these “sober influencers” having a tangible effect on our drinking habits? Science says yes! A recent study showed that engaging with relapse and recovery stories in social media had a positive effect on participants’ recovery journeys by increasing their perseverance and encouraging interactions with others in the same boat.

2. Snapchat Steals the (Boozy) Spotlight

If Instagram is more about showcasing curated content, Snapchat is the opposite — quick snaps, fun filters, and videos that disappear before we even have time to second-guess them. And when it comes to boozy content, this “here today, gone tomorrow” format can spell a different kind of trouble. 

A recent study found a “significant relationship” between risky drinking and viewing alcohol-related content by peers. Another uncovered a relationship between Snapchat usage and drunkorexia behaviors in young college-aged women. Participants tended to have higher body comparison levels when engaging with the platform, which made them more likely to restrict food intake in the context of drinking to avoid gaining weight.

Part of the reason Snapchat and booze make for a devious pair is that both engage our impulsive tendencies. Moreover, the fact that the images disappear into the internet ether might make it psychologically easier to share our overindulgence in alcohol knowing our prospective employer (or our judgy mother-in-law) won’t come across it years later — a trap that’s all too easy to fall into with platforms such as Facebook, where records of our boozy nights might lurk on our timeline for years if we forget to delete them.

That said, like Instagram, Snapchat isn’t all about sharing pictures of yourself holding a bottle of Grey Goose. There are more and more “sober snaps” out there, as well as accounts dedicated to living a booze-free life. Still, if we’re trying to stay away from booze, it’s best to tread with caution.

3. Young People Are Still at Risk — and TikTok Trends Can Be a Trap

Research shows that adolescents these days are still vulnerable to the negative effects of social media when it comes to drinking habits. A recent study found that “problematic social media use” in youngsters — characterized by compulsive tendencies that draw the user in much like alcohol or another addictive substance — is associated with higher drinking levels. Why? Getting into “binge mode” when watching YouTube or TikTok videos might engage the same dopamine-boosting mood-altering pathways triggered by booze (especially in young people, since our brain takes about 25 years to fully develop). 

Research also shows that even though the younger generation is drinking less than their parents (or grandparents), many college students still tend to view alcohol as a key part of the college experience. One research team analyzed a whopping 1151 social media posts by college students and found that the booze-positive ones are still drawing more likes and engagement. Another found that college students are more likely to drink after viewing alcohol-related content on social media. The reason? All those mid-party selfies make the poster appear social — and it’s easy to forget that the brief boost of boozy confidence often ends in a post-party crash. 

TikTok in particular tends to be rife with potential traps. It’s still the home of potentially dangerous booze-related challenges, with one of the latest being BORG — blackout rage gallon. It sounds intense (and not in a good way), and it is. The viral challenge that’s been “raging” through college campuses involves mixing hard liquor with water and sometimes caffeinated electrolyte powder, consuming it throughout the night, which may very well end in a blackout — or worse.

4. Twitter and Facebook Step Up to the Plate

Yes, blackout tweets still happen and Facebook has its share of booze-glamorizing posts. However, both have also developed a prominent sober curious streak. 

Twitter (aka X) has been leading the way in spreading the word about challenges such as Dry January. One study found that 74% of the 3,145 tweets related to Dry January that were examined expressed “encouragement and support” for the challenge, and many promoted non-alcoholic drinks while touting the benefits of going booze-free for a month.

Facebook, in turn, has a number of groups for the sober curious as well as for those who’ve ditched alcohol for good.

5. Alcohol Memes Are Still a Thing — But Sober Memes Are Drawing Healthier Laughs

A social media staple, memes — if you stumble upon one that hits the spot — can make your day. Whether it’s a nugget of wisdom or a hilarious bit of sarcasm, the right meme can capture the spirit of a cultural moment in just the right way.

In spite of the dangers that come with drinking, the “funny drunk” trope is still out there, and there are hundreds of memes to prove it. However, it’s not all “mommy juice” or “Drunk Dora” anymore: sober memes are catching up! With captions such as “Namastay Sober” adorned with yoga-inspired elements, the booze-free corner of the web is tapping into the power of memes. 

And this is great news: science says that humor is a powerful aid in recovery. In addition to boosting dopamine and helping stave off cravings, it’s a powerful way to increase our learning and memory capacity, reduce stress, and create social bonds. (And these days, the traditional “guy walks into a bar” joke can end with the guy not drinking — and be just as funny.)

6. Alcohol Reduction Apps Are Gaining Traction


Another healthy benefit of the digital world? Alcohol reduction apps like Reframe are gaining traction, serving as a powerful ally for those trying to quit or drink less. Many have a social media component in the form of discussion forums, meme sharing, and other ways of interacting with the community and posting our thoughts. 

And there’s science behind them! Research shows that the self-monitoring features offered by apps like Reframe make them powerful allies in the alcohol journey. It’s all about putting us in the driver’s seat when it comes to our drinking habits. By tracking, setting goals, and engaging with the digital community, we can make changes that fit our needs and are sustainable in the long run.

When You Like What You See, You See (More of) What You Like

One important fact to keep in mind when considering the influence of social media is that much of it is driven by algorithms. Creators of these platforms want us to find what we like — and then find more of it.

Watched one beer chug challenge on YouTube? Here’s a queue of five more. Liked a cocktail demo on TikTok? Here’s an endless list to keep watching. By the same token, “liking” a Dry January post means Dry July might make an appearance. The feedback loop is subtle but powerful when it comes to shaping our views about alcohol and influencing our drinking habits.

So what can we do about it? Let’s explore some ways to be savvy about social media.

“Click With Caution”: Tapping Into Technology’s “Good Side”

As poet Abhijit Naskar puts it, “To click or not to click, that’s the trillion dollar mental health question in the internet age.” Our answer? Click with caution. Here are some tips — along with some words of wisdom for the journey.

1. Approach With Intention

“You don't need to renounce technology to live a healthy and happy life, you just need to reorganize its purpose in your life.” 

Another pearl of wisdom from Abhijit Naskar, this piece of advice is a useful reminder that it’s not social media itself that’s the problem — it’s how we use it. If we approach it with healthy intentions, it can be our ally.

2. Question What You See

“Especially with Facebook and Instagram and Twitter, I can't tell necessarily the nitty gritty of what you're really up to. I’m just seeing the performance of all the work you’re doing and the look you’re giving; it’s very hard to get to the center. It’s very hard to see what's what.” — Casey Wilson

Keep in mind that what you’re seeing on social media is a highlight reel, and that appearances can be deceiving. 

3. Channel Your Creativity

“I think people are feeling more artistic and creative with something like Instagram that makes editing easy. That’s a good thing for sure.” — Tom Anderson

With these words, Tom Anderson reminds us that we can use social media to bring out our inner artist (and get some dopamine flowing to help us coast through cravings while we’re at it!). Did you find (or create) something inspiring? Share the nuggets of wisdom on the Reframe forum!

4. Get in the Moment

“In the past, people have looked at photos as a record of memory. The focus has been on the past tense. With Instagram, the focus is on the present tense.” — Kevin Systrom 

And being in the present can be a good thing! The practice of mindfulness — observing the present moment without judgment — is a science-backed way to engage the prefrontal cortex and keep cravings at bay. Using social media to soak in a meaningful (sober) moment and share it with others helps us get in the habit of observing and appreciating the world around us.

5. Practice Digital Minimalism

“For a better mental health, just turning off the unwanted notifications, getting rid of the social apps that you don’t really need to have will help you in different ways.” — Jyoti Patel 

While we can use social media to engage with content that helps us on the alcohol journey, it’s just as important to know when to disconnect.

Own Your Story

All in all, social media — like any other form of communication — can support our alcohol journey or derail it. But we have the power to make sure that it’s a positive presence in our lives.

Want to keep exploring the impact of social media on society, while learning how it can support your alcohol journey? “The Role of Social Media in Shaping Drinking Behaviors and How to Use It Positively.” And remember, Reframe is here to help you stay on track in the digital world.