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Darius Yohannan
Dr. Erin McLaughlin
Multimedia WR 13300
6 December 2016
Adolescence, Alcohol, and Advertising: Factors Contributing to Drinking in Teenagers
1. Introduction: Alcohol as a Serious Issue for Teenagers
Alcohol dependency affects people of all age groups, from teenagers to adults, playing a
large role in college life. Because of how people perceive drinking, alcohol is generally
consumed for reasons including friendship and an elevated social status. This relationship
resonates with many people, affecting their decision with regards to drinking. Many health issues
plague alcoholic adults, creating complications later in life. However, younger people are just as
heavily pressured to drink as are adults. Adolescents, better defined as middle and high
schoolers, are susceptible to the same influencers and become more willing to try alcohol, some
admitting to trying alcohol as early as 6 years of age.
The impacts of alcohol on teenagers is overwhelming and has caused a serious issue
throughout the country. Other than the immediate effects of alcohol use, including car accidents,
suicide attempts, and risky sexual behaviors, alcohol abuse in adolescents causes long-term
memory impairment with specific effects on the gamma-aminobyutric (GABA) and glutamate
systems across the body, the neurotransmitters influencing depressive behaviors, learning and
memory (Zeigler et al. 25; Vander Ven 6). This impacts the ability to focus during any activity
and chronic use can lead to learning disorders or memory impairment. Over a matter of years,
teenagers that have alcohol-use disorders tend to show higher brain activation linked to reward
and positive affect when they are drinking, showing that they are mildly dependent on the drug

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as a result of use at such a young age (Anderson et al. 234). These impacts can snowball as
increased use due to dependence will lead to more neurological deficits.
Alcohol use at a young age also correlates with alcohol abuse for college students. As
teenagers grow curious, more are willing try alcohol at younger ages. Donald Zeigler et al. write
in their paper that the average age at which teenagers try their first alcoholic beverage is 12 (24).
Such early use leads to addiction and continued drinking well into their twenties. Alcohol puts
college students at risk for hippocampal damage because chronic abuse also impairs the
development of the hippocampus, the portion of the brain responsible for creating and sustaining
short term memories (Zeigler et al. 26-7). Many of the issues related to college student bingedrinking actually have grounds in their environment as teenagers, pointing to the fact that as they
mature, the more exposed they are to alcohol, the more likely they are willing to try it (Wechsler
et al. 925-6; Grenard et al. 373). In their book, Scott Walters and John Baer discuss how
exposure to alcohol at an early age will result in heavy drinking while in college because college
is a time of inherent and sometimes chaotic change (18), and adolescents who try drinking
learn quickly that alcohol can serve as anxiety relief. As a result, many college students choose to
drink because of the expected state of relaxation and an enhancement of certain beneficial social
behaviors. They fail to recognize how one drink turns into a few and generally becomes a
destructive process.
Clearly, alcoholism is a disorder that stems from the exposure and use of alcohol in
adolescence and has major damages to brain function and motivation patterns. Alcohol
consumption during adolescence may lead to increase drinking in college, which also causes
similar neurological damage. This research paper evaluates the factors that spark adolescent
curiosity for alcohol and influence teenagers to drink, focusing primarily on the media and the

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larger influence that different alcohol advertisements have on teenage drinking. First, I will
discuss environmental factors that influence drinking, including parental guidance, sleep, and
peer influence. Then, I will evaluate the effect the media has on drinking in teenagers by
analyzing 2 types of alcohol advertisements: a photo in a magazine and a video commercial. By
doing so, I plan to outline the effect that advertisements in the media have on tendencies to drink,
prompting changes aimed at censoring these ads on platforms that teenagers use.
2. What factors promote drinking?
In a majority of cases, alcoholism is influenced heavily by the environment in which the
child was raised. Parents are important factors in determining how the teenager will respond to
alcohol. Many adults are prone to overdrink and many are not afraid to drink heavily in front
of children and teenagers. As a result, adolescents assume a more liberal attitude towards
drinking and connect alcoholism to stress alleviation and self-exploration (Walters and Baer 11).
Quite often, children of heavy drinkers are known to develop hazardous drinking patterns in their
teenage years and this ultimately leads to overuse of alcohol in college (Murphy et al. 4). In fact,
background factors, previous experience with alcohol [and] attitudes about drinking are
influenced by parental guidance, and are positively correlated with binge drinking in college
(Weschler et al. 923). Parents have a seemingly huge influence, but it isnt safe to assume that
they are the only factors affecting the teenagers environment. Sleep deprivation is another major
cause for substance abuse among adolescents. In fact, research conducted by Richard Bootzin
and Sally Stevens indicated that some adolescents are prone to disturbed sleeping patterns and
insomnia as they progress through puberty, and cope with other maturational, personal, and
social changes (629). A shorter duration and lower quality of sleep are risk factors for alcohol
use (Mike et al. 337), and because of the stress relief that is usually attributed to alcohol use,

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adolescents are more at risk to consume and abuse alcohol in response to their inability to sleep,
focus, and learn. Because of these issues, many adolescents are more susceptible to coping habits
including alcohol and drug abuse.
Next, another predictor for alcohol abuse is peer influence. The notion of peer pressure is
exaggerated in grade school, but has serious implications for the average adolescent. Young
people are more likely to surround themselves with like-minded peers who share their interests
and curiosity (Vander Ven 9), and are therefore much more likely to engage in deviant behavior
with regards to alcohol. A few situations may also prompt the student to try alcohol, including
birthdays, parties, social gatherings, and sleepovers where their friends may be drinking. Young
people who are more social tend to drink more because socialization and selection create a
sense of inclusion for the adolescent within his clique (Walters and Baer 14). Teenagers are also
known to groupthink, a phenomenon where they believe it would be acceptable to participate in
illegal behavior while they are in a group that shares similar interests. These factors make peer
pressure a significant cause for alcohol dependence.
Obviously, there are many environmental causes that influence adolescents and teenagers
to drink alcohol. Even children in privileged households will drink as a way to demonstrate their
status (Vander Ven 6). Scholars tend to use the nature-nurture argument heavily, focusing on
household influence on drinking patterns. However, they fail to take into account the influence
the media has on teenagers. More specifically, they overlook the adverse effect that alcohol
advertising has on young viewers.
3. How do alcohol advertisements influence viewers?
Production companies have a very large influence over what the viewer sees and how
they are meant to interpret the information. They are able to manipulate the angles they shoot

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their film, order the scenes in a certain way, and subconsciously influence the viewer towards a
certain concept or ideology (Lancioni 110). The camera tends to favor the scene that contains the
major hidden message that the filmmakers are implying, creating a contrast between the
connotative and denotative meaning of the images they show. By doing so, alcohol
manufacturers are able to strengthen the viewers reaction to a certain product. A study done by
Dr. Valenzula-Fernandez et al. identified the effect that media, namely film and television, have
on brand memory. When a brand is better hidden in the storyline of the video, there is a higher
probability that the viewer is able to explicitly recall the brand when making decisions in the
future. These tools have been used by alcohol production companies in their advertisements in
order to manipulate the adult viewer to prioritize their brand name and purchase their product
(Grenard et al. 369; Valenzula-Fernandez et al. 175), but little attention is paid to the influence
that these ads and ideas have on adolescents.
More specifically, alcohol manufacturers advertise their product many times throughout
the day, during major sporting events on televisions, through banners up alongside highways, on
the internet, and even during major sitcoms and shows. Although they are simply attempting to
persuade the viewer to consume the beer that they make, they are not censoring this in media that
many young teens or adolescents may be viewing. A study done by Grenard et al. concludes that
constant exposure to alcohol ads creates positive emotions in the young viewers, making them
more inclined to be curious, try, and become dependent on alcoholic beverages (374). Younger
adolescents are more susceptible to subliminal messages and therefore respond more strongly to
ads that promote social confidence, and the influence that filmmakers have on viewers eventually
leads younger viewers to formulate this connection to alcohol (Grenard et al. 369; Lancioni 1145). A coherent and fully fledged marketing communications mix (Anderson et al. 235)

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presented by alcohol manufacturers allows these messages to resonate with the viewer.
Longitudinal studies have shown that alcohol advertising ultimately increases the probability that
adolescents will drink when they are older, and also increases the amount they drink if they
already do (Anderson et al. 237; Grenard et al. 376).
4. Discussion
A study conducted by OKeeffe and Clarke-Pearson with the American Academy of
Pediatrics in 2011 showed that 22% of teenagers log on to their favorite social media site more
than 10 times a day and almost all communicate through some form of social media throughout
the week. Because they spend a majority of their time on the internet or on some sort of social
networking site, they are actively exposed to behavior ads and demographic-based ads that
influence not only the buying tendencies of preadolescents and adolescents but also their views
of what is normal (OKeeffe and Clarke-Pearson). Among these advertisements, nonetheless,
are ads for alcoholic beverages.
Beer commercials posted on social media websites, like Figure 1 below, typically display
groups of younger adults, socializing and happy, drinking beer. Alcohol is portrayed as a social
drug, associated with masculinity, happiness, and friendship. For example, the numerous sharks
all across the photo present a sense of courage and bravery for the stranded adults, who seem to
drink and laugh despite their predicament. The alcohol, in this case, is presented as a way for
them to alleviate the anxiety and be happy. The foosball table connects with many viewers,
especially children, and influences them to find an appeal in drinking. Finally, all these aspects
are reinforced by the peoples facial expressions and excitement to drink the beer. Many alcohol
advertisements follow similar schemes, and teenagers interpret this info in the same way as older
adults: a curiosity for the effects of alcohol on their social status. A teenager could accidentally

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run into this post on Twitter or Facebook, or other popular social networking sites, and in doing
so, would interpret drinking alcohol as a norm (Grenard et al. 375; OKeeffe and ClarkePearson). This exposure is detrimental to adolescents because it creates a positive reaction
towards alcohol and an increased desire to drink. Ultimately, this leads to alcohol abuse and can
be extended through college and have many neurological damages to the student, like discussed
above.

Figure 1: The Day of Primus with your Buddies Beer Advertisement

In addition, alcohol manufacturers advertise their product in the form of videos,
presenting them online on YouTube or Facebook, during TV shows or throughout sports events.
These advertisements are very similar to the Primus ad above, presenting the younger adults,
socializing, smiling and drinking beer. In a Corona advertisement called Ray of Light that was
published worldwide in 2015, manufacturers associate drinking with happiness by showing

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clouds move past the sun, lighting up an area where a lady was opening up a bottle of Corona
Extra. Later in the clip, the camera focuses on a group of adults, laughing, socializing and
drinking the beer while sitting on the beach. Commercial producers use these techniques to
present alcohol as a gateway to an elevated social status and happiness. Because so many
teenagers use websites including YouTube and Facebook, it is possible for them to run into video
ads like Ray of Light and be more inclined to try alcohol. This can lead to dependency at an
earlier age and cause problems in college and adulthood.
Advertisements like the two discussed above must be viewed on a larger scale than simply
commercials supporting a product: they can be harmful to the audience because they
subconsciously resonate with the viewer and lead to response. Manufacturers, however, argue
that their ads are directed at parents and adults who are legally allowed to drink. Through their
content selection, shot composition, camera work, and editing (Lancioni 110), campaigners
provoke the adult viewer to connect friendship and social acceptance to alcohol. However,
because of a lack of regulation, these advertisements can surface in social media used by
adolescents and manipulate them the same. This is dangerous for the adolescents who are
susceptible to advertisements similar to those on the various forms of social media that they
encounter each day. Although there are many underlying environmental causes to alcohol use in
adolescents and teenagers, the media undoubtedly has one of the largest influences. Without
regulation, it influences teenagers to abuse alcohol the same as it does to an adult.
5. Conclusion
Adolescence is a time when teenagers socialize, create their peer groups, and establish
their personality. Parents, sleep, and peers play a huge role in teenagers curiosity and willingness
to drink alcohol, and oftentimes, there is a direct correlation between a childs environment at

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home and his inclination to drink and depend on alcohol. More importantly, with influencers like
the media, adolescents tend to associate different items to social acceptance and friendship.
Alcohol advertisements mask the detriments of drinking by persuading adolescents to believe
that use will lead to an elevated social status. Even though manufacturers direct ads to adults, the
media continues to expose teenagers because it remains uncensored in shows or websites that
younger adolescents also use on a daily basis. Although drinking problems may seem to concern
only adults who are legally allowed to purchase alcohol, it should be seen as detrimental to all of
society, creating neurodegeneration in youth who are susceptible to same media. It is important
that people recognize the way in which alcohol manufacturers are able to subconsciously
persuade adolescents to drink and implement changes that would limit this in the future.

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Works Cited
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Bootzin, Richard, and Sally Stevens. "Adolescents, substance abuse, and the treatment of
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"Corona Extra Commercial 2015 HD: Ray of Light." YouTube, uploaded by Kley Commercials,
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Grenard, Jerry, et al. "Exposure to Alcohol Advertisements and Teenage Alcohol-Related
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Lancioni, Judith. "The Rhetoric of the Frame: Revisioning Archival Photographs in The Civil
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