COLUMBIA, 4/24/13 (Beat Byte) -- Anxiety -- and alcohol use -- predict emotional involvement with Facebook, claims a doctoral student at the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
Russell Clayton surveyed more than 225 college freshmen about feelings and behaviors. Students who reported higher anxiety and alcohol use were more emotionally connected with Facebook.
Marijuana use, however, predicted the opposite: a lack of emotional connection with Facebook.
Clayton's study, which he performed with the help of professorial preceptors, was published in the
Journal of Computers in Human Behavior. It has since
been reported in
dozens of news outlets
worldwide.
"When people who are emotionally connected to Facebook view pictures and statuses of their Facebook friends using alcohol, they are motivated to engage in similar behavior," Clayton said. Alcohol use is "normative," or socially acceptable, among college students, he added, so increased alcohol use may cause increased emotional connectedness to Facebook.
On the other hand, "marijuana use is less normative, meaning fewer people post on Facebook about using it," Clayton said. "In turn, people who engage in marijuana use are less likely to be emotionally attached to Facebook."
But marijuana use predicts the opposite
COLUMBIA, 4/24/13 (Beat Byte) -- Anxiety -- and alcohol use -- predict emotional involvement with Facebook, claims a doctoral student at the University of Missouri School of Journalism.Russell Clayton surveyed more than 225 college freshmen about feelings and behaviors. Students who reported higher anxiety and alcohol use were more emotionally connected with Facebook. Marijuana use, however, predicted the opposite: a lack of emotional connection with Facebook.Clayton's study, which he performed with the help of professorial preceptors, was published in the Journal of Computers in Human Behavior. It has since been reported in dozens of news outlets worldwide."When people who are emotionally connected to Facebook view pictures and statuses of their Facebook friends using alcohol, they are motivated to engage in similar behavior," Clayton said. Alcohol use is "normative," or socially acceptable, among college students, he added, so increased alcohol use may cause increased emotional connectedness to Facebook.On the other hand, "marijuana use is less normative, meaning fewer people post on Facebook about using it," Clayton said. "In turn, people who engage in marijuana use are less likely to be emotionally attached to Facebook."