The very commonly watched scenes of drinking in films may be having a negative effect on teens.
A new study, which was published in the journal Pediatrics, suggested that teens that have been exposed to more alcohol being consumed in films than their peers are more likely to have tried alcohol, according to TIME.
Those teens are reportedly more likely to binge drink and more likely to have alcohol-related problems as well.
“Alcohol is a drug and it has potentially adverse effects, not only for individuals but also for family and friends,” stated lead author Andrea Waylen, a lecturer in social sciences at the University of Bristol.
“It’s not very often that we see the adverse effects of alcohol portrayed — like vomiting, rotten hangovers. In my view, we don’t really get an accurate description of what alcohol is like.”
Although the recent study doesn’t prove that watching movies with alcohol in them directly causes teens to drink, various long-term studies conducted “show that seeing episodes of drinking in the movies may be the leading cause of teenagers beginning to drink, or smoke if they see episodes of smoking,” according to CBS News.
For the recent study, researchers reportedly used data from a study in the United Kingdom that surveyed 5,163 15-year-olds. The teens were reportedly asked about their drinking habits and whether they had seen a random selection of 50 popular films ranging from “Bridget Jones’ Diary” to “Aviator.”
Based on the data, researchers reportedly found that kids who had been exposed to the most alcohol in movies were 20% more likely to have tried alcohol and 70% more likely to binge drink.
Similar studies conducted in the U.S. and Germany reportedly found a connection between kids watching drinking in films and drinking in real life as alcohol is glorified in movies.
“My guess is that there needs to be a level of identification with the drinker in the film,” explained Waylen.
“[Kids will identify with characters] in films where alcohol use is made to look cool, get you friends, win the girl or boy.”
