Alcohol is beautified at Tiktok - that's why children are sensitive

"I want to encourage parents to search for '#alcohol Tiktok' and see if they are comfortable with the content that comes up, and that their children are exposed to."

It writes Professor Alex Russell in the Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs.

Together with his colleagues at the University of Arkansas, he has studied the content of the video app.  

The results of their research showed that almost all videos on Tiktok that contain alcohol - inspire to drink alcohol. 

Focuses on the positive

Of the 100 most watched videos with the hashtag "#alcohol", 98 of them portrayed alcohol consumption as something positive.

40 of the alcohol-positive clips showed how people mixed different drinks.

The remaining 60 videos showed various tricks, dances and "trends" on Tiktok - such as lifting large amounts of alcohol in a short time.

Several people were often seen in the picture.

These factors cause alcohol to be associated with belonging and pleasure

Negative consequences of drinking, such as drunkenness and bodily injuries, were shown in a few clips.

Then in a playful way.

The analyzed clips had almost 300 billion views by 2020.

- It is problematic to joke away the negative consequences, especially for young people.

It's often about lyte comedy - where someone is too drunk and does something stupid that others laugh at.

In this way, you cover the seriousness and forget the meaning and the possible acute injuries, says Johan Svensson who researched alcohol on social media at Stockholm University and CAN

Exposure to alcohol increases the risk of starting to drink early in life and of drinking more than you would if you were not exposed.

As one third of Tiktok's users are minors, it is important that adults are aware of what the videos contain.

- It is easy for alcohol companies to put restrictions in their channels, but here it is private individuals who post things.

In general, it is said that children are more sensitive to peer pressure.

With that said, adults are not immune to it, but according to the Marketing Act, children and young people must be protected from this type of marketing, says Johan Svensson.

Easily accessible videos

Tiktok's guidelines state that users should not publish videos in which minors consume, possess or are suspected of having consumed alcoholic beverages, drugs or tobacco. 

But the guidelines are rarely followed, both on Tiktok and on other social media.

By searching the internet, you could easily find videos and watch the material without having to verify your age, the authors of the study write.  

The study's authors urge, among other things, that public health and healthcare professionals can use the same platforms to spread knowledge about the harmful effects of alcohol on health.