Intoxicated on YouTube

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-02/uops-ioy021215.php

Public Release: 20-Feb-2015
University of Pittsburgh analysis finds popular YouTube videos drown viewers with positive portrayals of drunkenness
University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences

The 70 most popular videos depicting drunkenness on YouTube account for more than 330 million views, with little portrayal of the negative outcomes of excessive alcohol consumption, according to an analysis led by the University of Pittsburgh Center for Research on Media, Technology, and Health (CRMTH).

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There were a total of 333,246,875 views for all 70 videos combined.

• Humor was juxtaposed with alcohol use in 79 percent of the videos.
• Motor vehicle use was present in 24 percent.
• Although 86 percent of the videos showed active intoxication, only 7 percent contained references to alcohol dependence.
• An average of 23.2 "likes" were registered for every "dislike."
• While 89 percent of the videos involved males, only 49 percent involved females.
• A specific brand of alcohol was referenced in 44 percent of the videos.

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Dr. Primack found it concerning that nearly half the videos contained specific brand references. While this could indicate industry influence, the researchers did not note any clear indication of intentional advertising. Past research has linked exposure to brand references in popular media to encouraging alcohol consumption.