Binge-drinking university students are generally happier than non-binge drinkers, according to a research study presented at an annual meeting of the American Sociological Association Aug. 17-20.
The study found that students on campus from “higher-status groups,” such as wealthy, male, white, heterosexual, and Greek-affiliated undergraduates are more likely to binge drink than their peers from lower status groups, including less wealthy, female, non-white, LGBTQ, and non-Greek affiliated undergraduates.
These “higher-status groups” were found to be consistently happier with their social experiences at university than lower status groups, according to a survey of nearly 1,600 undergraduates attending a northeastern US residential liberal arts college in 2009.
“Binge drinking is a symbolic proxy for high status in college,” said Carolyn L. Hsu, co-author of the study and an associate professor of sociology at Colgate University.
“It’s what the most powerful, wealthy, and happy students on campus do. This may explain why it’s such a desirable activity. When lower status students binge drink, they may be trying to tap into the benefits and the social satisfaction that those kids from high status groups enjoy. And, our findings seem to indicate that, to some extent, they succeed.”
These findings come in the wake of many university initiatives to deter binge drinking, which they see as problematic, according to an Aug. 29 report by the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness.
The health department conducted the study after the death of an Acadia University student from alcohol poisoning during orientation week in fall 2011.
“Harmful drinking by university students is a problem for most, if not every university,” the report stated.
“The university environment has a significant role in shaping student behaviours, and as such, the campus context needs to be altered so that it does not support a heavy drinking culture.”
“Sadly, I think drinking is a really good way to get to know people just because when you’re drunk people tend to loosen up,” McMaster University student Vicki Del Ben said via email.
Although binge drinking might help students relax, Del Ben said she thinks sometimes binge drinking becomes the main focus of social events.
“It becomes about how much you can drink is like a point of pride for people,” she said. “You brag about it when you’re drinking and the next day you brag about how much you drank.
“It goes past the point of enjoyment [the drinking], because you’re just trying to prove you can drink a lot,” she said.
