BACKGROUND:
Reality
television watching and social media use are popular activities. Reality
television can include mention of illegal drug use and prescription drug misuse.
OBJECTIVES:
To
determine if reality television and social media use of Twitter are associated
with either illegal drug use or prescription drug misuse.
METHODS:
Survey of
576 college students in 2011. Independent variables included watching reality
television (social cognitive theory), parasocial interaction (parasocial
interaction theory), television hours watched (cultivation theory), following a
reality television character on Twitter, and demographics. Outcome variables
were illegal drug use and prescription drug misuse.
RESULTS:
Watching
reality television and also identifying with reality TV program characters were
each associated with greater odds for illegal drug use. Also, following a
reality TV character on Twitter had greater odds for illegal drug use and also
in one analytical model for prescription drug misuse. No support was seen for
cultivation theory. Those born in the United States had greater odds for
illegal drug use and prescription drug misuse. Women and Asians had lower odds
for illegal drug use. African Americans and Asians had lower odds for
prescription drug misuse.
Physicians, psychologists,
and other healthcare practitioners may find it useful to include questions in
their clinical interview about reality television watching and Twitter use.
Physician and psychology groups, public health practitioners, and government
health agencies should consider discussing with television broadcasting
companies the potential negative impact of including content with illegal drugs
and prescription drug misuse on reality television programs.
1a Department of Business Management , Brooklyn College
of the City University of New York , Brooklyn , New York , USA.
2b Department of Biology , Brooklyn College of the City
University of New York , Brooklyn , New York , USA.
DOI:
10.3109/10826084.2015.1082593
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