Seeking alcohol information on the Internet

It has been argued that people may be more willing to seek potentially threatening information on the Internet than they would in "real life". For alcohol drinkers, potentially threatening information includes diagnostic information on the amount they drink, and information about the negative effects of alcohol consumption. In the present study, participants with varying levels of alcohol intake and plans for change chose four alcohol-related articles to read (from 12), using either the World Wide Web (WWW) or pen and paper. Results showed that drinkers not currently reducing their drinking were more likely to seek diagnostic, potentially threatening anti-drinking information via the WWW compared with when seeking paper-based information. Drinkers either contemplating or engaging in efforts to reduce their drinking sought pro-drinking information on the WWW and anti-drinking information when using pen and paper. The potential role of the Internet, and perceived anonymity, in health promotion are discussed.