Drinking alcohol may raise the likelihood among teenagers to spend more time on computers, a new study suggests.
The study, conducted by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College, was based on a survey of 264 teenagers, aged 13 to 17.
Results showed that compared with teens who did not report drinking, those who drank alcohol in the last month used a computer more hours
per week for non-school-related activities, including the use of social networking sites.
Drinking was also linked to more frequent social networking and listening to and downloading music, according to the study published Monday in the on-line edition of the journal Addictive Behaviors.
However, there was no demonstrated link between alcohol use and computer use for school work, neither there was strong link between video games and drinking or on-line shopping and drinking.
"While the specific factors linking teenage drinking and computer use are not yet established, it seems likely that adolescents are
experimenting with drinking and activities on the Internet," said Dr. Epstein, assistant professor of public health at the college.
"In turn, exposure to on-line material such as alcohol advertising or alcohol-using peers on social networking sites could reinforce teens'
drinking.
"Children are being exposed to computers and the Internet at younger ages. For this reason it's important that parents are actively involved in monitoring their children's computer usage, as well as alcohol use."
Teenagers typically first experiment with alcohol at age 12 or 13, according to the study.
Family risk factors include lax parental supervision and poor communication, family conflicts, inconsistent or harsh discipline and
a family history of alcohol or drug abuse.
"According to a national study conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, more than half of parents of teenagers had filters installed on the computers their child uses to block content
parents find objectionable, yet many parents do not use any form of parental monitoring, particularly for older teens," Epstein said.