“When You Add Alcohol, It Gets That Much Better”

Abstract

University students frequently engage in normalized practices of heavy drinking, and social networking sites are becoming increasingly important in this context. The present study explored the role of Facebook within student drinking cultures by conducting three friendship groups in which students discussed their social networking and alcohol consumption alongside an Internet-enabled laptop. Transcripts were discursively analyzed; this demonstrated that “pleasurable consumption,” “routine socialization,” and “managed risk” discourses were used to construct Facebook as an essential but mundane tool, and Facebook was used regularly to create positive constructions of risky drinking. Particular types of risky drinking are discussed as being encouraged through both the interactions present on Facebook and the structure of the site that helps shape these interactions. Findings are beneficial for public health strategies seeking to understand and minimize harmful university drinking practices.