No abstract

Figure 1 displays the response-based estimations for every predictor. The x-axis is mean-centered, indicating that zero represents the average probability to drink on a given day (30 %). The red line represents the mean prediction while the black lines indicate predictions for students' probability to drink with random intercepts.

No abstract

Go-along interviews among adolescents ( N = 26, M age = 16.31, SD = .83) were conducted to examine how adolescents interpret alcohol posts in terms of appropriateness and how this, in turn, plays a role in adolescents’ reactions toward alcohol posts on public and private social media entries. The findings of this study, first, indicate that alcohol posts were classified as appropriate or inappropriate based on the amount of alcohol and the displayed behavior in the post. Second, most posts, including inappropriate ones, received positive or no feedback. Moreover, adolescents deliberately seemed to withhold negative feedback out of fear of being misjudged by peers. Still, negative reactions were expressed more quickly in safer off- and online environments (i.e., face-to-face conversation and online chat messages) because they were visible to close friends only. This is important in view of prevention as it unravels the interesting role of private environments in stimulating negative interpersonal communication.

To inhibit the spread of the Covid-19 virus, several governmental guidelines (e.g., social contact, vaccination) were proposed. Whether or not these protective behaviours are implemented often depends on citizens’ risk perceptions which, according to previous research, are formed by social media, news media, and interpersonal communications. However, previous research is limited in two ways. First, research mostly focused on adults, thereby neglecting emerging adults who are less affected but equally needed to adhere to the rules. Second, research mainly measured behaviours at one-time point and studied between-person associations, thereby neglecting short-term within-person effects. We therefore conducted a daily diary study among 208 emerging adults (Mage = 21.63, SDage = 1.15) and examined which communication channels increased Covid-19 risk perceptions (i.e., perceived personal susceptibility and societal severity) and, in turn, individuals’ willingness to get vaccinated and follow Covid-19 rules. The results showed that only news media predicted societal severity on the within-level and that severity, in turn, predicted willingness to get vaccinated and follow rules at the between-level. Additionally, social media predicted interpersonal conversations about Covid-19 at the between-and within-level. Overall, this study highlights the importance of news media in affecting emerging adults’ health perceptions and behaviours during a crisis.