Media Portrayal of Drugs and how has it desensitized America - Research Paper Example

?Media Portrayal of Drugs and how it has desensitized America Introduction: Media play a vital role in changing the attitudes and ideas of the American society. The constitution of America grants its citizens the rights of speech and press. So the media that comprise newspapers, magazines, movies, videos, and internet inflict a strong impact on the people. The publicity of media has persuaded companies to advertise their products through it. America has become notorious as world’s number one country in the case of drug consumption. The drug producers use the possibilities of media to broaden the popularity of their products too. The media in America can be seen as the supporters of drugs, like alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, inhalants, and cocaine. Both print and visual media show the use of drugs abundantly. The excessive portrayal of drugs and violence in the media has a mighty impact on the teenagers, but the media in America do not take the matter seriously. Therefore, one can find various opinions regarding the presentation of the news of drugs in media. The media picture the use of drugs in different ways. It depicts the public on one side and the drug producers on the other side. The media altogether stand for the advertisers and the big guns in the nation. The portrayal of drugs in movies and videos has created a desensitized attitude to drugs among the teenagers and the youth. The present article makes out a study on the relationship between media and drugs in the American society, emphasizing how the excessive display of drugs in media has desensitized this matter. Media portray the American youth as affected with sex, drugs, crime, and the illicit substances. The involvement of youth and teenagers with drugs and other substances has made the media think that the use of drug among the children is inseparable from the American way of life. So the media are not at all reluctant in presenting such things, instead, they popularize the use of it. The teenagers are the most likely affected ones by the media. The project Media Portrayal of Teenagers and the Effects by Kiera Gilbert, a student of City Charter High School, focuses on the presentation of teenagers by the media with regard to drugs and other substances. The writer says that in America about 4000 teens at grade 6 smoke tobacco for the first time and half of these teens become addicted to smoking. The media play a crucial role in the enhancement of it among the teens, as the presentation of drugs in media is connected with the glamorizing the habit. The writer makes the points clearer by stating that “cigarette advertising increases teenagers’ risk of smoking by glamorizing smoking and smokers” (Gilbert, 2010, p.6). The media have played a key role in the increasing alcoholism among the teens in the nation. “Alcohol drinks are the most common beverages portrayed on TV and 56% of students on grades 5-12 say alcohol advertising encourages them to drink” (Gilbert, 2010, p.6). The use of drugs remains to be a common phenomenon in America. Lloyd D. Johnson et al in their seminal book Drug Use among American High School Seniors, College Students and young Adults, 1975- 1990 point out the fact that the use of alcohol and cigarette start at the school level. He establishes that the use of illicit drugs is initiated by sixth grade among the students. He asserts that 19% of students in sixth grade use cigarette and 11% use alcohol. With regard to the use of the drugs like marijuana and inhalants, the rate is 2.8% among the students at the grade sixth. When the students reach the 9th grade, the rate is increased to a greater level (Johnston et al., 1991, p.9). Drugs, sex and violence are closely related to the media that focus these elements. A study was carried out by Craig Anderson and Brad Bushman of Iowa University, in which they could analyze the involvement of media and the violence of children. They found out that children and youth who play violent video games are prone to show aggressive behavior towards others. The exposure of children towards drugs through the media acts in this way. The children who watch television and play video games are likely to make attachment towards drugs (Media awareness network, 2010). The exposure of the students toward such advertisements turns them deeply attracted towards these elements. Therefore, it can be undoubtedly stated that the media in America explicitly stand for the drugs use, as well as other matters like sex and violence. Almost all media in America are governed by the advertisements and paid news by the few who want to introduce things according to their point of view. The American media enjoy the right of free press and speech; so, they put forward the information two times away from the reality. The modern electronic medium - internet - is filled with the aspects of sex, violence and drugs; all these things directly affect the life of the teenagers. The print media, which cover a large part of the media, tell the glamorized life of the persons using drugs. The actors and other luminary persons of the popular culture are casted in these advertisements, thus, encouraging the students to use drugs. The colorful presentation both in print and in video tempt the youth to turn towards these things. Slowly the media creep into the mind of the spectators and exert a deep influence on those who watch the advertisements. American media “tend to portray heroes using violence as a justified means of resolving conflict” (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2001, p. 1222), and so the exposure of children to such media makes them justified in their habit of using the drugs. The committee further speaks, “children are influenced by media - they learn by observing, imitating, and making behaviors their own” (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2001, p.1223). When the media desensitize the use of drugs and are promoting the use of it indirectly through different advertisements, films and video games, etc, the level of consumption increases. This brings huge income to the lobby concerned with this. The drug lobby in America is strong; its representatives want to sell out their products with easy measures. Media help the drug lobby to increase the selling; they resort to exploiting the children in America between the age of 2 and 18, who are exposed to the media around 6 hours daily. The young ones in America are lulled by the appealing capacity of these drugs’ advertisements, and the children are addicted to drugs from their schooldays. So the media in America acts as the spokespersons of the alcohol companies, cigarette makers and further, for the makers of the illicit substances. All the media promote the use of drugs among the people through different manners. Rutger C.M. Engels, et al in their article Special Issue: The Message and the Media put forward the relationship between media and drugs very elaborately. They state that the portrayal of alcohol in television enhances the actual drinking behavior among the people who watch it. They say in their article, “ In addition, substance use by the leading characters in movies, and soaps, as well as alcohol commercials on television might increase the social acceptance of the substance” (Rutger, 2009, p.244), and this will increase the popularity of the product. The students feel that being not exposed to alcohol of cigarette at their schooling is a disgrace. The students who use these get more social acceptance from the colleagues and become heroes just as shown in the advertisements. Their study on the subject has come to the conclusion, “the portrayal of alcohol and drinking characters in movies directly leads to more alcohol consumption in young adult male viewers when alcohol is available within the situation” (Rutger, 2009, p.248). The influence of the media stands as supreme in making the people attached to these habits. So the present society has fully come under the magical spell of the media in all matters. The American media portray alcohol, cigarettes and other substances very commonly in the movies, videos, and in other shows. Strasburger in the article Children, Adolescents, and the Media puts forward that alcohol is highly popularized by the movies. He says that a drinking scene is shown per every 22 minutes on American television, a smoking scene - every 57 minutes and the use of illicit drugs - every 112 minutes (Strasburger, 2004, p.71). The writer further establishes his statement through the presentation of the graphs associated with it. This shows that the American media are very much involved with the presentation of the use of drugs. As the teenagers are frequent viewers of media, they find out how frequently drug is presented in the media and they have the intense desire to get the feeling of it, as in the case of sex. The more the children expose themselves to such programs, the more intense will be the feeling towards such things. Media and desensitizing attitudes: Media, of course, influence the consumption of alcohol and other drugs at a greater level. The American media could not be seen protesting against the drugs and other substances that cause the psychological break-down of the youngsters. It is sure that the media support the use of drugs and enhance the consumption of it through different types of advertisements. Victor C. Strasburger asserts, “ the media have been implicated in a host of society’s ills for the past several decades: school shootings, teen sex and drug use, obesity and eating disorders, even online solicitation of sex” (Strasburger, 2004, p.54). The over emphasis given to alcohol and drugs in the media has turned these to a desensitized way. The term is related with the psychology and it means that the excessive exposure to a particular stimulus leads to the reduced response to it (Strasburger, 2004, p.61). The practice of drug use and violence in the country demanded for the more of it; the media used more and more drug use to stimulate the response of the readers. The depiction of drug use in media has been turned as silly as this desensitizing was crept into it. This demanded for more drug use and more sex and more violence in the movies. So, in America the excessive exposure to the alcohol and drug use in the media has turned the American society into a desensitized one, demanding for the higher rates of these things. Media presentation of drugs and attempts to regain the lost position Even though the media in a way popularizes the spread of drug use in America, there are also some attempts from the side of the media to stop the spread of the drug use. The article The Agony and the Ecstasy: Drugs, Media and Morality by Karim Murji analyses the relationship between media and drugs. The author tries to put the initiatives of the media to degrade the custom of using drugs. He states that media tries to fight against the common use of drugs in the country. According to the author, “the increased drug use by young people is presented as a symptom of this decline,” (the decline is in moral and social consensus) “or as a contributory or principal cause of social decay” (Murji, 1998). The social and moral consciousnesses of the media to the issue have a positive mark for cutting down the excessive exposure of the drug in the society. The media have portrayed the incidents associated with the use of drugs in America. So the media can both ways – for and against - exert its influence upon the people. Conclusions: The American media have been considered very strong; the influence of the media among the people is very deep. The excessive portrayal of drugs, along with other negative elements like sex and violence, has put a derogatory position to the media in America. The children’s affinity towards drug use in America has a direct influence of the media. The use of alcohol, cigarette and other illicit substances have been widely used in the media; so, the media is likely to be considered as a projecting the negative side of the society. Even though the media have some positive outlook towards the ill effects of the drug use, in general, the media are in support of the drug use. The desensitized attitudes of the people in America may be put as the worse side of it. The portrayal and desensitized aspects of drug use in America contributed for calling America a nation with too much of drug use and abuse. The government has to take necessary steps for the prevention of the excessive drug use, at least among the children at schools. The nation can be proud of its rich multiplicity of the ethnic groups and races, only if the necessary policies and strategies cut down the drug abuse. The media should have to forerun in their attempts to eradicate the issue, as the media possess deep influence upon the people in America. Annotated Bibliography American Academy of Pediatrics. (2001). Media Violence. American Academy of Pediatrics: Committee on Public Education.108 (5). http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/pediatrics;108/5/1222.pdf This article enables to make out the relationship between the media and the children very easily. The Children’s attachment to violence and drugs are attached with the role of media in it. Even though the article speaks the subject of violence and the role of media in it, it can very well be linked with media and drugs. C. M. E. Rutger., Hermans, E.R., van Baaren, R.B., Hollenstein T. and Bot, S.M. (2009). Special Issue: The Message and the Media: Alcohol portrayal on television affects actual drinking behavior. Alcohol& Alcoholism. 44 (3). 244-246, http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.org/content/44/3/244.full.pdf+html This article is highly valuable in connection with the topic of the essay. The writers in the article argue that the media directly and indirectly involve with the supply of the alcohol and other substances in America. The article has thoroughly analyzed the subject presenting an empirical description of the matter. Gilbert, Kiera. (2010). Media Portrayal of Teenagers and the Effects, Ms. Savido Research 12, Retrieved December 3, 2011, from http://portfolio.cityhigh.org/2011/kgilbertparker/grad%20project%20website/documents/final%20paper.pdf This work is written by the student of City Charter High School about the portrayal of teenagers by the media. Taking up the instances from different films and books he has made clear that media project the teenagers as distorted and a negative image is formed. The article is good to have an idea about the involvement of the media in the life of the teenagers. But at the same time the article cannot be treated as a major reference Media awareness network. (2010). Research on the Effects of Media Violence. Media awareness network: Media and internet education resources. Retrieved December 3, 2011, from http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/violence/effects_media_violence.cfm This work entails the relationship between violence and media in America. Actually it is a site that deals with media awareness network. The site focuses how the media in America functions in spreading the violence. The media violence causes for the increase of aggression among the teenagers. This work enables to understand a clear idea about the relationship between the American media and the aspects of violence and aggression it carries. Murji, K. (1998). The Agony and the Ecstasy: Drugs, Media and Morality. Harwood Academic Publishers. Retrieved December 3, 2011, from http://www.psychedelic-library.org/murji.htm This part of the article tells the part played by the media to establish the ill effects of the drug use. Of course the article deals with the relationship between media and drugs but irrespective of other article which argue how drug use is popularized by the media, this article tries to eliminate the drug use by the different methodologies applied by media. The article suits to be perfect in telling how media attempts to stop the drug use in America. Strasburger, V. C. (2004). Children, Adolescents, and the Media. Curr Probl Pedlatr Adolesc Health Care. Retrieved December 3, 2011, from http://www.sfu.ca/~wchane/sa304articles/Strasburger.pdf This work is really covering the topic well. The writer gives the relationship between media, drugs and teenagers. These three are linked to one another. The graphs shown in the article make a clear comprehension of the part played by drugs in the media of America. These presentations by the media create a deeper influence among all walks of life. References American Academy of Pediatrics. (2001). Media Violence. American Academy of Pediatrics: Committee on Public Education.108 (5). http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/pediatrics;108/5/1222.pdf C. M. E. Rutger., Hermans, E.R., van Baaren, R.B., Hollenstein T. and Bot, S.M. (2009). Special Issue: The Message and the Media: Alcohol portrayal on television affects actual drinking behavior. Alcohol& Alcoholism. 44 (3). 244-246, http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.org/content/44/3/244.full.pdf+html Gilbert, Kiera. (2010). Media Portrayal of Teenagers and the Effects, Ms. Savido Research 12, Retrieved December 3, 2011, from http://portfolio.cityhigh.org/2011/kgilbertparker/grad%20project%20website/documents/final%20paper.pdf Johnston, Lloyd D., O'Malley, Patrick M., Bachman, Jerald G. (1991). Drug use among American high school seniors, college seniors, college students and young adults, 1975-1990. National Institute on Drug Abuse: U.S Department of health and human services. Retrieved December 3, 2011, from http://monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/mtf-vol1_1990.pdf Media awareness network. (2010). Research on the Effects of Media Violence. Media awareness network: Media and internet education resources. Retrieved December 3, 2011, from http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/violence/effects_media_violence.cfm Murji, K. (1998). The Agony and the Ecstasy: Drugs, Media and Morality. Harwood Academic Publishers. Retrieved December 3, 2011, from http://www.psychedelic-library.org/murji.htm Strasburger, V. C. (2004). Children, Adolescents, and the Media. Curr Probl Pedlatr Adolesc Health Care. Retrieved December 3, 2011, from http://www.sfu.ca/~wchane/sa304articles/Strasburger.pdf Read More