The effect of media messages on perceptions of peer substance use in adolescents

Youth substance use is common in today’s society and presents unique concerns about how such behavior develops. Two risk factors that fit the criteria for influencing behavior under the social cognitive theory have been identified: peers and media messages, both of which increase the view of substance use as a normative behavior. This paper investigates the media’s role in the formation of perceptions of peer substance use in adolescents. In order to determine if pro-substance use media messages cause an increase in perceptions of peer substance use participants were asked to (1) complete a survey asking them to estimate peer substance use patterns, (2) watch a media presentation, and (3) respond to a second, similar survey. As in past studies, student estimates of peer substance use rates were above actual use rates, and girls tended to make higher estimations than boys did. In addition, it was found that girls are most strongly affected by media messages. Increased estimates of peer use are associated with personal initiation of drug use, and therefore these results may open the door for the development of interventions to reduce such perceptions.