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Music can strongly affect the emotions of people who listen to it. Everything about a song ranging from the lyrics to the music and even to the actions that people perform in the videos can have an impact on our society. Modern American society has a substantial epidemic of drug and alcohol abuse right now. According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS), among Americans aged 12 years and older, 37.309 million were current illegal drug users (used within the last 30 days) as of 2020. Unfortunately, the music industry is adding fuel to the fire every day. Here are a few ways in which the music industry in the United States affects drug and alcohol abuse in society today:
How Does the Music Industry Influence Perceptions of Cocaine Compared to Alcohol?
The music industry plays a pivotal role in shaping perceptions of substances like cocaine and alcohol. Artists often glamorize cocaine use in their lyrics, presenting it as an exhilarating escape, while alcohol is frequently portrayed as a social lubricant. This creates a stark contrast, especially when comparing the effects of cocaine and whiskey.
Desensitizing the Seriousness of Drug Use
The psychology behind desensitization is that if you put something abnormal in front of somebody enough times, their mind will become accustomed to seeing it, becoming standard. It’s a tactic that has been used for ages, and it’s now being used in the music industry to desensitize people about the seriousness of drug use and abuse. Many of the videos show drug use and alcohol consumption openly. Some artists talk about it casually in their songs as if it’s something positive. The thing that’s terrifying about that is that children emulate celebrities and musicians. These people are becoming their role models, and they are not offering the children much more than an invitation to develop a drug addiction.
Glorifying Drug Sales
Music’s effect on drug abuse in our society is apparent in the glorification of drug sales. The whole “gangster” persona in certain types of music pushes a “drug kingpin” mentality. The message that it sends is that it’s okay to sell drugs to people as long as you’re making money. That concept has heavily saturated the music industry for at least three decades. It mostly affects the rap industry along with the glorification of gun violence and the objectification of women.
Music’s Effect on Drug Abuse: Is It Deliberate?
As previously stated, the music has become like one long drug abuse advertisement. It is getting harder to get through a song without hearing about somebody popping some kind of pill or smoking some drug. They don’t discriminate against alcohol either. The “purple drank” or the “lean” is often promoted in the songs. It’s a beverage that contains a strong narcotic such as codeine. Some artists are openly pushing it as if it’s legal to abuse, and young teenagers and preteens are getting involved in drug use to be like their idols. No one is stopping these activities, banning the music, or speaking out about it much because there’s so much money involved in it.
Romanticizing Inebriation
Today’s music industry also romanticizes inebriation. All you have to do is take a little trip to YouTube, and you’ll find some drunk or drug-influenced celebrities holding interviews or stumbling around in public cursing at people and such. These types of activities are put on social media pages as entertainment, and they’re often glorified. All these things affect our society, a society that the growing drug epidemic has severely crippled. It is not helping the 23 million people suffering right now and trying to break free of the bondage of drug addiction.
Open Discussion About Rehabilitation
The only positive thing that the music industry pushes with regard to drugs is rehabilitation. We do see a lot of celebrities openly discussing their willingness to go to rehab centers and get help. So that’s a good thing because it plants a seed of recovery hope in anyone watching. Other than that, the music industry doesn’t seem to be an advocate of healthy lifestyles. Music’s effect on drug abuse is just another example of how impressionable our youth are today.
How You Can Help Your Children
Citizens who have children are going to have to take charge and have a conversation with them about drugs. The music is out there, and you can’t watch your children 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The only way for you to combat music’s effect on drug abuse is to give them as much input as the music industry is putting into them. You have to create time to discuss these matters and stress the seriousness of drug use and its effects of drug use. The music industry is making a big statement, so you need to make an even bigger one.
How You Can Help Yourself
If you or someone that you care for is struggling with drug addiction, you must know and understand that it is a nationwide problem. Many other people are struggling with the same issue, and you are not alone. There is a way to combat drug addiction. With support from family, loved ones, and a reputable addiction program, you can reclaim your life. You can help your teen reclaim his or her life. Take the first step today and contact a facility immediately.
