Addiction in the Media – Music
Media in general is a very influential source, especially
for adolescents. On average, American teenagers listen to music and watch music
videos for 4-5 hours each day (Substance Use). According to this study done by
the Office of National Drug Control Policy, 45% of music videos have drugs or
alcohol appear either visually or verbally. The study included 258 music videos
that varied in genre. The results of this study suggest that illicit drugs
appear more often in the lyrics than in the video, and vice versa for alcohol
(Substance Abuse).
While drugs and alcohol appear in many music videos, the
portrayal of the substances varies. Some promote the use of it such as Liquor
Store Blues by Bruno Mars, stating that alcohol is good for getting rid of “pain”
and “sorrow” and that it won’t affect the user’s future. Other songs such as
Cocaine by Jackson Brown, depict the physical and psychological changes that
come with addiction. Similarly, Jack Daniels and Jesus by Chase Rice portrays
the social consequences of alcoholism.
The influence that music has on adolescents can go either
way. The media as a source for information on drugs could lead kids to believe
that it is cool normal to use and abuse them. On the other hand, it could
inform them about the problems that accompany drug abuse, making them see that
drugs are harmful and dangerous. A big part of this is the view of the musical
artist. If a famous musician sings about using drugs and alcohol, it gives them
a positive connotation. The artist is probably well off and well known, and
they accomplished this while living with substance abuse.
MusiCares is a foundation specifically for musicians living
with addiction. It has been growing and expanding at a rapid rate, providing
services for treatment as well as help getting back on the right track (The
Fix). This is very beneficial because a big problem with recovering from
addiction is getting back out into the real world, paying bills, getting a job,
and supporting oneself and others. Providing services for these problems will
help prevent relapse into substance abuse.
This foundation as a whole is a great idea and is something
to learn from. It gives the client a sense of belonging and understanding that
caters to an important part of their life. By creating more foundations such as
this one, addicts will have more options for treatment and recovery that could
be based off of their way of life (The Fix). In order to be eligible for
assistance the foundation requires 5 years of documented, professional work in
the music industry (The Fix).
References
McGuiness, K. (2011, October 28). How the music industry helps its addicts. Retrieved from http://www.thefix.com/content/behind-music6126
Substance use in popular music videos. (2002, June). Retrieved from http://www.scenesmoking.org/research/SubstanceUseIinMusic.pdf
