Social norms, how they are used and, where necessary, reshaped, hold a frequently overlooked potential to improve preventive behaviours among young people, who are particularly sensitive to shared codes and peer dynamics.
Shared individuality
The paradox continues to fascinate sociologists and frustrate parents alike: never before has a generation so strongly asserted its individuality and its right to “be oneself”. And yet behaviours are also shaped within a social environment made up of expectations, comparisons, implicit signals and the pursuit of approval, including through social media. In health prevention, this social dimension deserves to be taken seriously. “We are social beings: our decisions are not the result of isolated, rational calculation, but are made in reference to what we believe others do, approve of, or expect from us,” explains Laura Litvine, Director of Behavioural Insights Team France. “In prevention, this can translate into well‑known mechanisms that influence behaviour: biased perceptions (‘everyone drinks a lot’), fear of being judged when seeking help, or alignment with group practices, even when they run counter to our intentions.” Correcting these perceptions and shifting what is socially valued therefore represents a powerful lever, provided it is used with precision: identifying which perceptions are genuinely inaccurate, for which audiences, and in which contexts. Effects do exist, but they are often heterogeneous and of varying magnitude, hence the importance of testing and adapting interventions.
Correcting perceptions rather than blaming
An initiative featured in the APRIL Foundation’s third Expert Report illustrates this principle in the context of reducing alcohol consumption on US university campuses. The initial diagnosis was simple: students tend to overestimate their peers’ average drinking levels, and this belief fuels an implicit pressure to drink more in order to “fit in”. Rather than moralising, the intervention focused on correcting perceived norms, communicating through multiple channels (posters, T‑shirts, social media, etc.) about actual behaviours: no, the majority of students do not drink excessively at every party, and nine out of ten take steps to get home safely. “The result was a significant reduction in risky drinking, without stigmatisation or fear‑based messaging. When moderation is revealed to be the norm, allowing oneself to slow down becomes much easier,” emphasise the researchers behind the project.
In France, this mechanism lies at the heart of the success of Dry January, an international movement encouraging people to take a break from alcohol during the month of January. Beyond individual abstinence, the collective dimension is key. Taking part in the challenge makes it possible to refuse a drink without being seen as a killjoy, by joining a socially valued, shared movement. “The collective framework can provide a form of social ‘permission’: you are not doing it alone, and you can rely on a shared narrative,” observes Laura Litvine. “This does not mean that norms are overturned everywhere, but making the behaviour more visible and acceptable can reduce certain social costs.”
Harnessing peer influence to embed norms
Another key lesson from work conducted by the APRIL Foundation is that social norms spread more effectively through peers than through institutions. When engaging 18-25‑year‑olds, the messenger matters as much as the message. Authority figures (doctors, parents, teachers) are often discounted or rejected in the name of autonomy. By contrast, peer voices are listened to, giving rise to a more horizontal form of prevention. The Grassroots school‑based anti‑bullying project relies on identifying and mobilising a core group of influential students tasked with embodying and spreading prosocial behaviours. “We know that social norms are a major driver of behavioural change among adolescents. Working with existing influencers to propose new norms allows change to be encouraged without resorting to injunctions, which adolescents often respond to negatively,” explains Nicolas Fieulaine, social psychology researcher at the University of Lyon. “That said, care must be taken to avoid reinforcing school hierarchies that may create additional difficulties.”
Digital tribes: a new frontier for prevention ?
It is impossible to discuss social norms without entering the digital arena. For young people, social media are an extension of real life, where reputations are built (and dismantled). Digital ethnography studies reveal a mixed picture. On the one hand, pressure from “fitfluencers” and the cult of the perfect body can fuel insecurities and disordered behaviours. On the other, supportive communities are emerging, as illustrated by the Quit the Hit programme in the United States. By creating private discussion groups on Instagram to help young people quit vaping, the project establishes a micro‑group norm: “together, we quit”. Digital social support replaces the isolation often associated with cessation. “Social media are a particularly relevant communication channel for younger audiences, as they are embedded in their everyday habits,” notes Nicolas Fieulaine. “That said, such solutions must anticipate issues of adoption and the risk of further increasing already high screen time.”
Owning change
These approaches highlight, by contrast, the limitations of many traditional prevention strategies: an excessive focus on individual responsibility, insufficient understanding of group dynamics, and a fear of ‘manipulation’ that paradoxically leads to the preservation of harmful pre‑existing norms. “Not acting on social norms is not neutrality; it allows inaccurate representations to persist, hindering the adoption of protective behaviours. Social norms cannot be decreed; they are built gradually, through the accumulation of coherent signals,” stresses Sophie Ferreira Le Morvan, Executive Director of the APRIL Foundation. The Foundation is committed to this approach, notably through its support for GRESMO, using gamification and social media to recruit and retain young people living with obesity in care pathways. “Health prevention for young people will only gain impact if it ceases to be a solitary exercise. By acting on norms, we no longer ask young people to swim against the current — we change the direction of the current itself.”