The Silent Majority? College Students’ Views, Conditions, and Reactions to Drunken Facebook Posts

Abstract

College students’ definitions of inappropriate drunken posts, their reasoning, and what they do in response are generally absent in the literature. An online survey of 522 college students examined two drunken Facebook posts, one a general statement of drunkenness and a second which specifically mentioned vomiting and being underage. Findings suggest that students’ views of these posts are more complex and less accepting than previously thought. Most students considered both posts “a little” to “very” inappropriate, but the second post was more negatively viewed. A common reason was that the posts were socially unpopular, especially if the individual was underage. Findings also show that overwhelmingly students would ignore an inappropriate post or react in a way that is invisible to the poster. Thus, visible reactions may be falsely biased toward favorable feedback, even if many views are disapproving. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.