Hooked by design: how social media fuels alcohol harm
Professor Nicholas Carah – The University of Queensland
On this month’s Alcohol Alert podcast, we spoke to Professor Nicholas Carah about the fast-evolving world of digital alcohol marketing - and why it matters. As debates intensify globally around social media regulation and even bans for young people, the conversation couldn’t be more timely.
Professor Carah explains how digital platforms have transformed marketing into something far more powerful and personalised: “The more people participate, the more data they generate… you get this loop on digital that you didn’t have in earlier forms.”
He also highlights the risks of highly targeted advertising for addictive products, noting that these systems are: “built to tune into who are the high-volume consumers and show them more ads.”
The episode explores how this intersects with rapid delivery services, regulation challenges, and harm.
Later this year, IAS will be publishing a film on digital alcohol marketing, continuing to shine a light on this critical issue.