Alcohol-related Facebook activity predicts alcohol use patterns in college students

The purpose of this study was to determine if a brief 10-item alcohol-related Facebook (R) activity (ARFA) questionnaire would predict alcohol use patterns in college students (n = 146). During a single laboratory session, participants first privately logged on to their Facebook (R) profiles while they completed the ARFA measure, which queries past 30-day postings related to alcohol use and intoxication. Participants were then asked to complete five additional questionnaires: three measures of alcohol use (the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT], the Timeline Follow-Back [TLFB], and the Personal Drinking Habits Questionnaire [PDHQ]), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MC-SDS). Regression analyses revealed that total ARFA scores were significant predictors of recent drinking behaviors, as assessed by the AUDIT, TLFB, and PDHQ measures. Moreover, impulsivity (BIS-11) and social desirability (MC-SDS) did not predict recent drinking behaviors when ARFA total scores were included in the regressions. The findings suggest that social media activity measured via the ARFA scale may be useful as a research tool for identifying risky alcohol use.