| Fraternity and sorority life remains a significant part of the collegiate experience while
continuing to face challenges related to hazing, substance misuse, and sexual violence.
Simultaneously, social media has become a dominant influence in shaping how college students
understand peer norms and organizational culture. Guided by social learning theory and the
prototype willingness model, this quantitative study examined the relationship between
Instagram and TikTok engagement and risk-related behaviors and chapter culture among
fraternity members.
Using a positivist correlational approach, data was collected in Spring 2025 through a
national survey administered in partnership with Dyad Strategies, yielding 3,790 undergraduate
respondents. Social media engagement was measured using an adapted Passive and Active Use
Measure (PAUM) scale assessing passive use, active use, intensity of use, and exposure to
fraternity-related content. These variables were analyzed in relation to measures of hazing
tolerance, severity, and attitudes, substance use and related measures, sexual assault mindsets,
and measures of brotherhood and organizational culture.
Results indicate that exposure to fraternity-related content and higher intensity of use
were consistently associated with increased alcohol risk, greater hazing tolerance and severity,
and stronger endorsement of sexual assault–minimizing and victim-blaming attitudes. Passive
engagement demonstrated more consistent associations with risk-related outcomes, while active
engagement often showed neutral or protective relationships. Although effect sizes were modest,
findings suggest that social media operates as a meaningful contextual influence within fraternity
culture and should be considered in modern prevention efforts.
Keywords: Fraternity and sorority, social media, influence, hazing, alcohol use, sexual violence |