ABSTRACT
Drinking and drunkenness have traditionally been masculine practices linked to masculine identities and to socially constructed ideals of masculinity, such as autonomy, independence, bodily composure, control, self-discipline and strength. Young people use social network sites (SNS) to share their tastes and preferences, stay connected with friends and broader peer-groups, display social connections and perform social identities. Social media use is a gendered activity, and SNS have always been employed by users to construct and perform gendered identities. SNS are crucially implicated in many young people's drinking practices, where the sharing and consuming of both self-produced and commercial images of female and male drinking is central. Digital mobile technologies have allowed young people to connect on SNS, upload photos, comment and interact while they are drinking alcohol when out in the night-time economy. Some research highlights that the displaying, sharing, and commenting on drinking photos on social media sites is where notions of appropriate and inappropriate masculinities and femininities are negotiated.
