Free Essay Sample on Social Media Campaign on Teen Drinking

Teen drinking is a serious health problem that disrupts education and causes behavioral issues. Alcohol is the most commonly used substance by American teens, and it exposes them to numerous risks. The repercussions of teen drinking affect everyone irrespective of status or age. Everyone feels property damage, aggressive behavior, and violence caused by drunk and unruly youths (Lamy et al., 2017). Therefore, a social media campaign that raises awareness of the dangers of underage drinking is crucial to steer young people in the right direction. One of the main reasons why teens drink alcohol is due to peer pressure and lack of role models. Others resort to drugs because of family issues and a lack of moral support. According to the National Survey on Drug Use 2014, over 8 million American teens were alcohol drinkers, with white students reporting high levels of rate of drinking.

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Underage drinking is caused by numerous factors such as genetics, childhood behavior, peer influence, family issues, and childhood traumas. Studies show that genetics play a role in underage drinking, meaning that some are susceptible to become binge drinkers than others. Moreover, behavior patterns also determine whether one will become a substance abuser in the future. Children who are restless, impulsive, and volatile are more likely to be diagnosed with disorders than their counterparts (Sargent, & Babor, 2020). Peer influence is a significant contributor to becoming a teen drinker, researchers assert. Having friends who abuse substances makes one more likely to start drinking alcohol. Some teens start abusive drugs to please their friends or to fit in a group.

Moreover, teens who come from broken and abusive homes are more likely to start drinking, unlike others. Hence, the family set up plays a vital role in directing teens in the right direction. Traumatic events such as sexual or physical abuse are risk factors for alcohol abuse by teens. The consequences of underage drinking are dire, which necessitates a social media campaign to spread awareness. It can cause injuries, deaths, impaired judgment, and can lead to other problems.

I have chosen this cause because many families are affected by teen drinking and need help. Many parents have talked to their kids; others have tried therapy while others have given up. This cause is meant to raise awareness of teen drinking, its causes, and long-lasting solutions. Moreover, it uses Facebook to reach people who have spread the word. Many teens are on Facebook, which makes it an excellent platform to put the campaign and get feedback. The #WeTalked hashtag will be used to promote the campaign and start a conversation about the dangers of underage drinking with teens.

Campaign Rationale

Appropriate steps and actions must be taken to spread the word on Facebook and spark change. The campaign rests on three assumptions: Parents do not realize the prevalence and dangers of underage drinking if parents knew the dangers of underage drinking, they would change their perceptions and pay attention to what teens are doing. Teen drinkers obtain alcohol from adults who facilitate the behavior. It would be hard for them to access and drink alcohol if denied access because of their age. To spread the word about teen drinking, the following steps will be taken:

Form partnerships

Underage drinking affects many people, and it is easy to find people on the platform, spreading awareness on the issue. However, one should be careful when choosing to partner with to avoid sending the wrong message or appealing to the wrong group. The partnership is good because it allows one to reach many people and add to the ongoing conversation. Moreover, it is an opportunity to meet and interact with new people about the cause. After forming partnerships, parties should agree on the terms and conditions, and messages to be shared.

Advertisement

Facebook runs free and paid ads that one can use to spread the word and spark change. Alternatively, one can pay people to promote the campaign online and get people talking about it before it starts. The goal is to reach teens and parents with the message, and social media ads are a great way to do it.

Encouraging people to share the message on their timelines

The campaign can have a massive impact if everyone who views it shares it with someone else. If all the viewers can repost the campaign on their timelines, it would reach more people.

Disseminate facts

Many campaigns have been prepared to raise awareness on teen drinking, but few have succeeded. The first step towards spreading the word on the dangers of teen drinking is disseminating factual information to start a conversation. Refrain from giving opinionated ideas and release facts to educate people

Design an appropriate campaign ad

The kind of campaign one designs determines whether it will have an impact or not. While it is imperative to be informed and passionate about raising awareness, a lousy ad can ruin the campaign.

Invite people to share ideas/feedback

The campaign is meant to generate a discussion, and viewers should be allowed to share their views openly. It will have a big impact and spark change when viewers comment on features used and possible changes.

Evaluation

Before starting the social media campaign, there should be tools to track performance. The social media campaign made an impact and sparked the necessary change. However, specific changes can be implemented to improve their performance.

Promoting user interaction

Users should be encouraged to interact with the post concerning the campaign to raise awareness. Moreover, they should be encouraged to ask questions, participate in polls, reviews, and comments. Some users fear to share a dissenting opinion, thinking that they are not wanted. However, the campaign needs to accept both positive and negative views to spark change. Thus, one change that could be made to the social media campaign is promoting user interaction.

Being proactively engaged in the campaign

Instead of posting about the campaign once per day, one should be proactively involved in the affairs of the campaign. This entails answering questions and critiques respectfully and reading other people’s comments.

Defining the role of parents

Parents play a vital role in ensuring that teens abstain from substance abuse, and the campaign should define and include them. They should know the importance of monitoring their kids’ activities and talking to them about the dangers of underage drinking. The campaign will have more impact if parents are part of it.

Teen drinking is a significant problem that affects many households. This campaign is meant to raise awareness of the dangers of underage drinking, define the role of parents in preventing substance abuse, and offer long-lasting solutions. The cause can spark change if the right people are involved, and views are shared and taken into consideration.

References

Lamy, L., Fischer-Lokou, J., & Guéguen, N. (2017). With a little help from adults: positive emotion as an excuse for underage drinking. Basic and applied social psychology, 39(5), 287-291.

Sargent, J. D., & Babor, T. F. (2020). The relationship between exposure to alcohol marketing and underage drinking is causal. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Supplement, (s19), 113-124.