EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE IN POPULAR MUSIC

         EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE IN POPULAR MUSIC

            According to Plato, the music type to which people are exposed to when growing-up will directly determine the balance of their humanity. Aristotle plainly agreed quoting, “If a person listens wrong kind of music like the ones encouraging immoral behaviors like drug abuse, promiscuity, violence and immoral sex, he or she will automatically heed to such kind of behaviors and become a wrong kind of person; but contrariwise, if he or she listens to right music which contains right contend, he/she definitely becomes the right kind of person.” So, if some specific music genres have a valuable effect to people’s minds, it also stands to reason that impacts from others which entertain negative behaviors may have less desirable impacts like encouraging teenagers and youths to start abusing drugs. There are several positive impacts and benefits associated with listening to music. That’s the good news. On the other hand, studies have associated the content of some types of music with deleterious effects like encouraging drug and substance abuse among the teenagers and young adults.

Abuse of drugs and other substances in popular music genres has remained a topic with controversial opinions and debatable for a number of years, since 1930 if not earlier than that. As the old saying states it “wine, women and song”, the link between music and substance abuse started several years back. Direct references to various forms of recreational drug use and in different forms has become a common phenomenon in the dawn of modern recording industry, more  particularly it has been rampant in popular music genres like pop rock singles, dancehalls releases, and alike. The direct reference to recreational drugs by the modern music has led to several challenges in modern society which are socially, cultural, legal, and economic (Diamond, Bermudez & Schensul, 2016, p.269). This has led to several studies aimed at revealing the link between the direct references of drug abuse and the increased rates of drug abuse among the youths and young adult. However, the results have had mixed results over multiple decades. Drug abuse in popular music influences youths and young adults negatively and may result to some of them getting into it.

For instance, since hip hop music became popular in the 1980s, the genre has swept away several nations and the whole world at large. Many teens and young adults have registered high attraction rates to this contentious music style. The genre lyrics usually appeal to emotional challenges which are usually experienced in teenage age. For teens under lower socioeconomic bracket, financial challenges outlined by many hip hop rappers foreshadow their own. These songs provide an escape from reality to teens and young adults in the “better tomorrow” message depicted in some of the songs. Rag-to-rich stories are so appealing especially at their developmental stage (Markert, 2011, p.194). Youthful wishes to become independent and one’s own person are all tolerated in rap music. And above all, rap is adored by teenagers because it unites people.

As outlined above, it goes beyond doubt that the sheer popularity of this music makes it so influential to youthful culture. However, the question is: how is it influential? It is a common believe that modern music exclusively covers crime, violence, drug use and sex. This is absolutely true since these are the common and favorite themes in the modern recording industry, making it very hard for musicians with unique messages to stand a chance in recording deals (Wooten, 2012, p.93). For example, Macklemore, a popular rapper whose message was sobriety and family values in most of his songs, became popular without record deals. But according to a study carried out with incarcerated teens, Drake and Kendrick Lamar remained the only famous rappers according to them who had positive values. Teenagers’ brains can therefore without doubt be pointed out as highly impressionable. And the messages they interact with, including music are likely to interfere with their real behavior either positively or negatively.

Rap music has two main aspects: entertainment and influence. The genre effectively accomplishes both. If it was not entertaining, it would not have been accorded the immense support it has today. It unites people. Rap music on the other hand glorifies some behaviors like drug abuse indirectly, especially for those who are not familiar with the drugs. For the most part, artists seem to take the credit in drug abuse and hence encouraging teens to try the same thing. This impacts kinds negatively who have never come across drugs. It is clear that drugs in pop culture are heavily influential in the society (Forsyth, Barnard & McKeganey, 2017, p.1317). Today it is very normal to encounter direct drug abuse and alcohol being referenced directly and their outright usage in popular music and movies. Children watch this trend all the time and although at times they may not recognize it, some have shown interest by emulating the behavior using conventional items like candy and juice. This has also led to oral fixation affinities that appear later on in their lives as typical smoking and drinking habits. Drug abuse in popular music is much more influential on youths and teenagers than people want to admit.

But the trend has gone too far to appear very normal any way! It has affected the morals of media too, I mean turn on to popular pop music radio stations today and after few minutes you will have hear several lyrics referencing drug use. This is a clear indication that the taboo theme of drug abuse is in the mainstream than ever before, it is also shocking that popular artists have become so nonchalant on drug abuse in their songs (Winstock, Griffiths &Stewart, 2011, p.9). Although drug reference in music is not new, it appears to be more obvious at the moment than earlier.

A study which has been undertaken recently on 720 songs from Billboard’s popular music between 2009 and 2011 indicated that 23% of them directly referenced alcohol. A different study also based on 2005 popular songs indicated that the percentage of songs which directly referenced drugs and drug abuse was 33 percent out of the total number of 279 most popular songs. The genre which recorded most references to these drugs was hip hop, basically known as pop music today. The second genre after hip hop music was the electronic dance music (EDM), frequently linked with the abuse of MDMA (“molly”). Overwhelmingly, they all referenced the drugs positively (Took &Weiss, 2014, p.613).

Despite of the fact that alcohol has still remained to be the most referenced drug in most of the pop songs, molly reference in the songs is dramatically rising. Miley Cyrus, once emulated as a role model to many young girls, has recently created a controversy with one of her lines “dancing with molly” in her recent song “We Can’t Stop.” On the other hand, Rick Ross is said to have missed a deal with Reebok after his rap line “molly all in her champagne” and mentioning to date rape. Also Pop celeb Madonna has also jumped into the bandwagon; by entitling her current album as “MDNA,” and she lately enquired at a show, “How many people in the crowd have seen molly?” (Primack, et al., 2015, p.169)

Molly usage at shows and music celebrations has drastically increased, particularly in EDM celebrations. A year ago, molly was reprimanded for two deaths at New York’s Electric Zoo music celebration. It’s easy to see that molly references in popular music are corresponding with its usage among youthful people. From 2005 to 2009, there was a 123 percent expansion record in crisis visit rooms in major hospitals ascribed to molly usage. Marijuana use is likewise vigorously referenced in popular music, and as indicated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, its usage among teenagers is also expanding. A similar report, in any case, demonstrates that liquor use among adolescents has diminished by nearly 33% since the late 1990s. Among secondary school students, cocaine use is dropping but MDMA has remained genuinely steady. This can be seen to be directly proportional to its popularity and as the main theme in most of the current pop music hits currently (Redhead, 2017).

Several studies have been conducted with reference to this matter. For instance, earlier 2015, Forsyth and his fellow researchers Barnard and McKeganey carried out a study to affirm whether there was a relationship between drug abuse among the youths and who like popular music. The aim of their study was to demonstrate the existence of a relationship between drug abuse among the teens and young adults with music styles and drugs being used in those songs. They obtained the required data through surveys which were collected by the researchers themselves under exam settings from two different samples in Scottish secondary school kids. The fieldwork was undertaken in five ample schools in the city of Dundee and five others from rural areas of Perth District. They administered the questionnaires in two randomly chosen mixed capability levels in each of the four obligatory schooling years (S1 to S4), at each partaking school. The ultimate sample (n= 1523) was nearly 10% of the total population of kids under those school years from the selected areas (Forsyth, Barnard & McKeganey, 2017, p.1317).

Comparisons were then afterwards made out of the results obtained covering life-time trials of drug use and the literature covered by popular music at the time. The findings revealed that , although some children had ever used the MDMA, ‘fans’ of pop music to whom literature commonly entertained usage of drugs were the highest in number among those who were deeply affected by drugs. This fact held true across a number of drugs which were being used, across different geographical environments, over time and scheming for age, sex and paternal social class. Forsyth and his co-researchers comfortably concluded that there was a substantial relationship between music genres directly referencing and indirectly advocating for drugs and life-time drug abuse among the young generation (Forsyth, Barnard & McKeganey, 2017, p.1317).

On a different study, Baker and Bor outlined the indications of music preference on mental status of young people. The research was fueled by a double suicide by two teenage girls in 2007. Their cause of actions was linked with the themes of “emo” music at the time. However, the scrutiny by the media was not targeted on emo music only but several other types of music which conveyed some forms of antisocial behaviors such as drug abuse, promiscuity and violence. The clinical question at the time was whether literature conveyed in different type’s music could contribute to actions linked with emulation of behaviors which were described and practiced in such music lyrics. Their research surveyed and discussed relevant literature materials which covered music preference and the associated impacts on adolescents (Baker & Bor, 2014, p.284).

From the sample of 32 different literature materials they analyzed on this topic, 23 of them showed that there was a high possibility of teenagers and young people emulating what they watch. Their conclusion was that music and other media displaying direct antisocial behaviors like drug abuse and others easily lured the observers to practicing those behaviors as well as trying to consume what they see being consumed in the media. They gave an example of MDMA; a drug has been in the market for long but little known in the past. Once its reference became an order of the day in most of hip hop music by celebrities in the industry, it is slowly overtaking alcohol as far as its abuse is concerned. They termed this example as a clear confirmation of how drug abuse direct reference in popular music is impacting the young people in the society (Baker & Bor, 2014, p.284).

A third research on this topic and worthy to consider was carried out by Sarah, Rey and Jean, a study to affirm whether there was a relationship between increasing usage of ecstasy among the American youths out of its reference in most of American rap-music lyrics between 1996 and 2003. The aim of their paper was to demonstrate the existence of a relationship between increased usage of ecstasy among the teens and young adults in America following its popularity in rap music styles and other drugs being used in those songs. They obtained the required data through interviewing some of the users to know how they came to know the drug. The fieldwork was undertaken in five ample states where the drug usage was rampant. They administered the interviews in two randomly chosen mixed capability levels in each of the three obligatory categories (S1 to S3), at each state. The ultimate sample (n= 120) was nearly 60% of the total population of participants revealed that they came across this drug at their first time through media and more specifically in rap music and movies (Sarah, Rey & Jean, 2015, p.156).

Comparisons were then afterwards made out of the results obtained covering life-time trials of ecstasy and the literature covered by rap music at the time. The findings revealed that , although some said that they were introduced by friends to ecstasy abuse, , ‘fans’ of rap music revealed that they liked the way the drug was being represented in those music genres. This fact held true across most of the users they interviewed which, across different states, over time and scheming for age, sex and paternal social class. Sarah, Rey and Jean therefore comfortably concluded that there was a substantial relationship between music genres directly referencing and indirectly advocating for drugs and life-time drug abuse among the young generation ((Sarah, Rey & Jean, 2015, p.156).).

Many contradicting factors have resulted from this matter; in particular, music genres describing drug and substance abuse in a depressing and emotionally downright fashion may fuel curiosity for one consumer and disgust for another. Intermittent calls for popular music censorship in diverse countries over the last few decades have also raised different results subject to the country. Various musicians have appealed a public image on drug abuse by their neutral and positive impressions of drug use in their songs, while others have highly criticized and shed light on the negative impacts of drug abuse, condemning individuals who are associated with drugs like dealers and suppliers (Roberts, Henriksen & Christenson, 2013).

Such issues have proved to cut across lines of gender, nationality, race, age and musical genre, with conflicting examples like hard rocker Pete Townshend who directly labelled the irresponsible musicians who defy fans of their songs by embracing materialistic drug abuse as “decadent assholes” as well Miley Cyrus, a dance pop star who openly has embraced the use of cocaine and MDMA in her songs and both of them getting the attention of press for their views. As well, some musicians have argued that people tend to misunderstand their song intentions through their diverse interpretations; a good example is John Denver, a country and folk star who had to persuade criticism against hearing hidden innuendo in his hit song “Rocky Mountain High” (Roberts, Henriksen & Christenson, 2013).

So, should popular music singers who directly reference drugs and substance abuse in their releases be condemned for influencing teens and young adults? Are they expanding the free speech rights bestowed to them to irresponsible levels? It’s without a reasonable doubt that people tend to be influenced by the kind music consume. And It’s much troubling and posing greater danger to future generations when we see drug and substance abuse flaunted by pop music singers as something to bring about “cool” and “fun,” experience in their music because depicts that the young generation will definitely emulate that. For many of them, they rarely distinguish between those celebrities swaggering and the real consequences they might encounter out of drug and substance abuse.

It is therefore clear that censorship won’t solve the drug abuse problem resulting from music exposure. It’s up to individual music artists to come up with firm decisions in regard to the literature they feed listeners with in their individual music. But when it’s all about partying in clubs, music about drug and substance abuse is what is popular, who can we blame for that case? As sober Nations, the change in the trend will come only when we will stand a position of realizing how big the problem is. Considering that the internet has currently made it possible for the young generation to access pop music easily, the trend is now likely to widen as compared to the past statistics. This is a threat to the future generations which can only be solved by involving our pop music artists. The rights have been granted on the freedom of what they can display on their music. However the trend has gone beyond the boundaries and if not controlled may lead to an immoral society which will be full of drug addicts and immoral behaviors increasing beyond control. A change in this case is inevitable.

References

Diamond, S., Bermudez, R. and Schensul, J., 2016. What’s the rap about ecstasy? Popular music lyrics and drug trends among American youth. Journal of Adolescent Research, 21(3),        pp.269-298.

Markert, J., 2011. Sing a song of drug Use‐Abuse: Four decades of drug lyrics in popular Music– From the sixties through the nineties. Sociological inquiry, 71(2), pp.194-220.

Wooten, M.A., 2012. The effects of heavy metal music on affects shifts of adolescents in an        inpatient psychiatric setting. Music Therapy Perspectives, 10(2), pp.93-98.

Forsyth, A.J., Barnard, M. and McKEGANEY, N.E.I.L., 2017. Musical preference as an indicator of adolescent drug use. Addiction, 92(10), pp.1317-1325.

Winstock, A.R., Griffiths, P. and Stewart, D., 2011. Drugs and the dance music scene: a survey   of current drug use patterns among a sample of dance music enthusiasts in the UK. Drug          & Alcohol Dependence, 64(1), pp.9-17.

Took, K.J. and Weiss, D.S., 2014. The relationship between heavy metal and rap music and          adolescent turmoil: real or artifact?. Adolescence, 29(115), p.613.

Primack, B.A., Dalton, M.A., Carroll, M.V., Agarwal, A.A. and Fine, M.J., 2015. Content            analysis of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs in popular music. Archives of pediatrics &           adolescent medicine, 162(2), pp.169-175.

Redhead, S., 2017. Subculture to clubcultures: an introduction to popular cultural studies.             Blackwell Publishers.

Roberts, D.F., Henriksen, L. and Christenson, P.G., 2013. Substance use in popular movies and    music.

Baker, F. and Bor, W., 2014. Can music preference indicate mental health status in young             people?. Australasian Psychiatry, 16(4), pp.284-288.