Could social media make you try weed? The answer is not as simple as you might think.
According to new research from the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, teenagers who frequently use social media are about three times more likely to try cannabis than those who do not.
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Using data from over 1,700 Australian young people, the researchers focused on those aged 18 or 19, and found a statistically significant association between frequent social media use and cannabis use. By age 18-19, more than 34 percent of the study participants reported cannabis use.
“What surprised us most was that anxiety and emotional distress did not explain this link,” lead researcher Getachew Asmare Adella told Medical Xpress.
This finding matters because researchers often look at mental health and stress when trying to understand why some teens may be more likely to experiment with substances. In this case, however, anxiety and emotional distress did not appear to be the main factors connecting social media use and cannabis use.
Instead, the researchers found that behaviors like impulsivity may play a larger role. One potential explanation is that social media may expose teens to greater peer influence or content that normalizes risk-taking, and as teenagers use social media, these platforms reinforce those behaviors.
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While it may be difficult to isolate which specific factors influence cannabis use, the researchers used advanced analytical methods, specifically an instrumental variable mediation analysis, to determine that social media use had a larger correlation with cannabis use than other factors. By using specific measures, such as mobile phone ownership and home internet access, they were able to better isolate the influence of social media from other background factors.
Still, it is important to note that the study found an association, not a guarantee. Not every teen who uses social media will try cannabis, and not every young person who experiments with cannabis does so because of how often they scroll.