5 Tips to Cut Alcohol from Your Social Media

If you’re one of the billions of people worldwide who use social media every day, you may know how social feeds can be packed with alcohol-related content. The content can be hard to avoid in the digital world—whether it’s a picture from a buddy’s happy hour drink-clink, a video or reel of a bartender sharing drink recipes or a targeted advertisement from an alcohol company. While this content may seem harmless, research shows that it can influence individuals to believe that peers are drinking more often and lead to riskier drinking behaviors. Read on for five tips to shift your feed if you’re someone who is trying to cut back or take a break from alcohol:

1. Curate your content. The social media content we consume can impact how we feel. If you’re always seeing alcohol-related posts on your feed, it may make you want a drink. Make sure you’re following those who share common interests and goals. Consider following accounts like Own Your Limits (Facebook, Instagram) to scatter responsible drinking messages in there too (*cough cough* shameless plug!).
2. Take advantage of the “not interested” button. When alcohol-related content appears, consider taking control of your feed and use the tools available to communicate that you’re ‘not interested.’ This feature removes the post from your feed immediately and the platform should suggest fewer posts like it in the future.
3. Mute or hide unwanted posts or stories. Did you know you can mute or hide posts from people or accounts that you don’t want to see without having to unfollow or remove them? Utilize these features if you need to hit pause on their content. You can always undo it!
4. Change your advertisement (ad) settings. Many social media platforms allow users to customize their ad preferences. Consider going into your settings and adjusting your alcohol-related ads and marketers will be prevented from targeting you with similar content going forward.
5. Is it time to unfollow? If an influencer or friend you follow regularly shares drinking content that you don’t want to see, consider unfollowing or unsubscribing. Prioritize reaching your health and lifestyle goals above social media engagement and follows.

It’s important to evaluate how the people and things around us influence our behaviors. Someone may be influenced to drink more if they receive constant reminders of alcohol in person and online. If you’re looking to cut back or take a break from alcohol, tailor your social media to set yourself up for success.

P.S. While you’re thinking about social media, always remember: never drink and post.