An affordance approach to understanding young adults’ social media communication about alcohol use and driving.

Social media represents a way to communicate prevention efforts and to understand the social nature of alcohol consumption and related harms for young adults. An affordance approach to social media research facilitates understanding of different platforms and the evolution of platforms. Online interviews involved participants (N=32) viewing and describing their social media, specifically content related to alcohol or driving (including alternatives to driving, such as public transportation). Participants all described alcohol content and many described driving content. Different content was described relative to the platform affordances, such that there were considerations around public/ private content, synchronicity of sending/ receiving content, visualness, quantification, permanence, availability, emotional cues, and a platforms’ algorithms. We found nuances in these considerations when receiving marketing/advertisements and communication with friends, as well as differences with different purposes to communication among friends (e.g., commemorating events, more sensitive content). Communication differed in social context and in the use of technology and highlights value in understanding social media affordances. Findings are relevant for both delivering public health messages via social media and in further understanding the social nature of, and communication about, alcohol and alcohol-related harms.