Do Social Networking Sites Enhance the Attractiveness of Risky Health Behavior? Impression Management in Adolescents' Communication on Facebook and its Ethical Implications

Abstract

Social networking sites (SNS) are of increasing importance for adolescents' social life. As adolescents are prone to display risky health behavior in the offline world, it is likely that they use their online profiles and communications to report on unhealthy behaviors, too. This may in turn enhance the perceived attractiveness of risky behavior within the adolescent cohort. Drawing on the insights of impression management theory, we argue in this article that adolescents use a variety of impression management tactics in their SNS profiles and communications. Following this assumption, our empirical analysis of 5851 Facebook posts (profile texts, comments, photographs, etc.) shows that the users tend to associate risky health behaviors with positive attributes, such as accomplishment or sociability, to present themselves in an attractive way to their online peer audience. We argue that this raises two ethical issues relevant to health promotion: Adolescents' health may be challenged by interaction on SNS, as their engagement in online impression management blanks out any health problems or critical assessments of risky health behavior. At the same time, the semi-public nature of the communication arena re-enforces the tendency to value unhealthy behavior as more attractive than in offline social interactions.

Frequent electronic media communication with friends is associated with higher adolescent substance use

“…It is well established that adolescents use EMC to display engagement in substance use and that the most frequently displayed substance is alcohol (e.g., texting about or posting pictures of partying and drinking; Loss et al 2013;Moreno et al 2009). Such online displays of substance use are typically presented with a positive connotation (e.g., sociable, fun, and daring) rather than raising health concerns, and are intended to make a desired impression on peers.…”

“…Such online displays of substance use are typically presented with a positive connotation (e.g., sociable, fun, and daring) rather than raising health concerns, and are intended to make a desired impression on peers. Since adolescents' online displays of substance use usually receive positive feedback from peers, the perceived attractiveness of substance use may enhance (Loss et al 2013). Consequently, adolescents' own substance use likely increases to match that of their peers.…”

“…Alcohol use is more normative and acceptable than tobacco and cannabis use (Morgan et al 2010), and subsequently the most displayed and communicated of the three substances (Loss et al 2013;Moreno et al 2009). The increased stigma surrounding tobacco and (illegal) cannabis use may make it less likely for adolescents to communicate about these behaviors, as this would potentially harm the impression others have of them (Morgan et al 2010;Stoddard et al 2012).…”

“…In addition, alcohol consumption is frequently presented and perceived as an enjoyable social activity. Compared to smoking, for example, adolescents are more likely to drink alcohol together with others to celebrate an event (Huang et al 2014;Loss et al 2013). The social and rewarding nature of alcohol use, compared to tobacco and cannabis, likely also explains the differences in the parameter estimates for EMC.…”

“…On the other hand, there may be unique associations of EMC with adolescent substance. EMC is frequently used to display engagement in substance use (e.g., texting about or posting pictures of partying and drinking; Loss et al 2013;Moreno et al 2009), and exposure to online displays of substance use by peers has been associated with adolescents' own substance use (e.g., Huang et al 2014;Litt and Stock 2011;Stoddard et al 2012). Accordingly, unique associations between EMC and adolescent substance use are expected over and beyond associations with offline interactions.…”