Facebook Use, Self-Esteem and Alcohol Consumption in Adolescents

Facebook use, self-esteem and alcohol consumption in adolescents

The use of new technologies such as electronic social networks have changed the way we relate to other people, daily life and even leisure activities. An increasing amount of time young people and teenagers spend online social networks like Facebook, which has aroused considerable concern about the influence of the use of Facebook in risky behaviors such as the consumption of alcohol. Alcohol consumption is a public health problem with serious health consequences, particularly in adolescents who are vulnerable to damage in their development and integrity. High self-esteem has been presented as a protective factor for the onset of drinking. The theoretical perspective that allowed me to support the objective of this study was Neuman Systems Model. The aim of this study was to describe the relationship of the use of Facebook and the level of self-esteem with alcohol consumption in adolescents. The study design was descriptive correlational, for this report, a preliminary sample consisted of 47 high school students aged between 14 and 19 years was considered. The results showed that most teens use Facebook every day with an average of two hours, the use of Facebook was related to alcohol consumption, just as little more than half said that the use of Facebook has affected their friends to consume alcohol. We also found that most teens had low self esteem, low self-esteem likewise related to alcohol consumption in adolescents where more than half of the sample was classified as hazardous drinking and harmful use.