"F*ck It! Let's Get to Drinking-Poison our Livers!": a Thematic Analysis of Alcohol Content in Contemporary YouTube MusicVideos.
The purpose of the present study is to describe the portrayal of alcohol content in popular YouTube music videos.



We used inductive thematic analysis to explore the lyrics and visual imagery in 49 UK Top 40 songs and music videos previously found to contain alcohol content and watched by many British adolescents aged between 11 and 18 years and to examine if branded content contravened alcohol industry advertising codes of practice.



The analysis generated three themes. First, alcohol content was associated with sexualised imagery or lyrics and the objectification of women. Second, alcohol was associated with image, lifestyle and sociability. Finally, some videos showed alcohol overtly encouraging excessive drinking and drunkenness, including those containing branding, with no negative consequences to the drinker.



Our results suggest that YouTube music videos promote positive associations with alcohol use. Further, several alcohol companies adopt marketing strategies in the video medium that are entirely inconsistent with their own or others agreed advertising codes of practice. We conclude that, as a harm reduction measure, policies should change to prevent adolescent exposure to the positive promotion of alcohol and alcohol branding in music videos.
Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, Clinical Sciences Building, Nottingham City Hospital, UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG5 1PB, UK. Joanne.Cranwell@nottingham.ac.uk.
Jo
J
Cranwell
Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, Clinical Sciences Building, Nottingham City Hospital, UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG5 1PB, UK.
John
J
Britton
Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, Clinical Sciences Building, Nottingham City Hospital, UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG5 1PB, UK.
Manpreet
M
Bains
D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008019:Life Style; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D009146:Music
Adolescent role modelling; Alcohol; Alcohol policy; Thematic analysis; YouTube music videos