International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

Background: The rapid expansion of social media use among Nigerian youth has reconfigured patterns of peer interaction, identity formation, and behavioural socialisation within tertiary institutions, with celebrity culture increasingly shaping substance use behaviours. Despite growing concerns about substance use among Nigerian tertiary students, there is a dearth of integrative, gender-responsive studies examining the interplay between social media-mediated peer pressure, celebrity worship, and substance use patterns, neglecting the complex, mutually reinforcing dynamics and gender-specific pathways in this context.
Objective: This study investigates the interconnections between social media–mediated peer pressure, celebrity worship, and substance use behaviours, with particular attention to gender disparities.
Method: This study adopts a secondary data-based research design, leveraging existing datasets to explore relationships among peer pressure, celebrity worship, and substance use patterns. Instruments include: Peer Pressure Scale (PPS); Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS); Substance Use Self-Report Inventory. Secondary data allows examination of trends and comparative analysis between male and female students.
Result: Findings indicate that social media functions as a powerful conduit of normative influence, where peer visibility and celebrity culture reinforce substance-related behaviours. Peer pressure emerged as a significant mediator linking social media engagement to celebrity-inspired substance use. However, the pathways of influence were distinctly gendered. Male students were more likely to engage in outcome-driven emulation of celebrity status and risk-taking behaviours, corresponding with higher frequency and diversity of substance use. Female students demonstrated stronger identification-based motivations shaped by relational validation, aspirational modelling, and image management within online peer networks.
Conclusion: The study concludes that effective prevention strategies must move beyond generic substance control approaches to incorporate digital literacy, peer-network interventions, and gender-sensitive psychosocial programming. Unique contribution: The study advances existing literature by integrating peer dynamics, celebrity worship, and substance use within a gender-responsive model in the Nigerian context. Key recommendations: A multidimensional framework that addresses social media dynamics, celebrity culture, and gendered identity processes is essential for mitigating risk behaviours and promoting healthier outcomes among tertiary students.