Overview
- Participants aged 18 to 24 were randomly assigned to view 20 Instagram-style posts that either included drinking or matched content without alcohol.
- Viewers exposed to drinking scenes reported a short-term increase in desire to drink compared with those who saw similar posts without alcohol.
- Among participants who judged the influencers as trustworthy, reports of increased desire were more than five times as frequent.
- The clips depicted everyday lifestyle moments rather than overt alcohol advertising, according to study lead Jon-Patrick Allem.
- The authors note the experiment captured self-reported desire rather than actual consumption and argue prevention and policy should account for content exposure, not just screen time.