Study: YouTube Videos Featuring Alcohol Consumption Don’t Tell the Whole Story
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Digital Vision/Photodisc/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A study conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that YouTube videos related to alcohol intake are often shown to be funny, raising questions as to whether viral videos could be harmful.
Researchers analyzed 70 of the most popular videos that depict consumption of alcohol. The videos totalled over 300 million views, according to the study, published in the journal Alcoholism. Of those videos, 89 percent showed men partaking in alcohol consumption, compared to just 49 percent showing women.
The study noted that liquor was most commonly seen in the videos analyzed, followed by beer, with wine and champagne the leaast frequently depicted drinks. Further, 79 percent of videos included humor and 44 percent contained brand references.
As a whole, the videos received far more “likes” than “dislikes” on YouTube.
Researchers say that the videos, which are heavily viewed, infrequently depict the negative outcomes of drinking. The study does not, however, link viewership of these videos with any particular affect on actual alcohol consumption.
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