If you look back at your Instagram posts—what do you see the most? Are you a selfie star? Or maybe the puppy paparazzi? According to a recent survey conducted by Sauza tequila, 51% of cocktail fans that are active on Instagram are excited to snap a few shots of their favorite beverage. We’ve all been there—positioning our glasses for just the right shot. It’s all about making it look good but not staged and getting those likes from friends and followers. Sauza’s research found that most people share a photo of their boozy beverage to celebrate an occasion rather than to make others jealous of their good time. Instagram is a great outlet to share photos and try out your photography and filter skills, but some people worry that certain brands and popular users hold too much sway over their followers when it comes to promoting drinking.
Researchers in Australia are concerned by the impact of posts encouraging drinking—wine in particular. Many women are inundated by dozens of Instagram posts featuring clever and funny sayings about drinking wine posted late in the day. From popular women’s magazines to beauty brands, everyone is getting in on the action. The problem, according to leading alcohol researcher Dr. Withnall, is that many of these posts are “promoting women’s use of alcohol to fix a problem.” As with any social media advertising today, we have to recognize the impact on the messages flooding our feeds.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t post fun photos of you and your friends sipping on cocktails or even a glass of wine with a book on a quiet night in, but as always, we at Drinking America want everyone to drink responsibly!