The Media's Role in Influencing Society
The media has emerged as one of the most influential powers in a 21st-century participatory society. Although representations of music, film, and video have not necessarily reflected absolute truth, they have had a long-lasting role in objectifying attitudes. The media has influenced a multitude of societal topics by weaving together a variety of texts, words, and photographs to produce the place, interpretation, and status of events. Their role in the formation of preconceived ideas and conventional knowledge is best exemplified by Boyd's views in 'Pleasure and pain: Representations of Illegal drug consumption, addiction, and trafficking in music, film, and video, where he points out that movies, narrative, and music communicate meaning about drugs as well as people who abuse them. The imagery helps in producing an understanding of the substances, playing a critical role in influencing not only public notions but also policy and legal issues surrounding the drug crises. Boyd's supposition informs the discourse of this paper, where the focus will be a dissecting representation of illicit drug use.
II. Body
Drug references have for years been enjoying a huge presence in the media, with the subject being one of the most commonly mentioned aspects in movies and music. According to Boyd (2011), the conjoint relationship was first witnessed in the advent years of the films in the 1920s and 1930s, where movies portrayed drugs as pleasurable. Substances such as opiates, marijuana, and cocaine were treated as part of the mainstream society and did not have any link with the criminal life. Music produced during the era also glorified positives of substance abuse, with songs such as Wacky Dust enjoying huge success. While the theme of substance consumption has been fading following a number of regulations that guide the need for morality in pieces of arts, drug-addled movies and albums remain part of the industry. Diamond, Bermudez, and Schensul (2006) support the argument, noting that rock and rap music normalize drugs use. The behavior has also been sustained by an age-old notion that doing drugs makes one creative and avoid earthly challenges.
In an equal weight, the media materials also portray substance use as illegal. Boyd (2011) highlights the aspect of mixed messages surrounding drug abuse, noting that they are represented as punishable crimes. Prohibitionists have taken advantage of the visual and audio forms of arts to not only discourage the public but also convey public health concerns associated with abuse. The majority of the movies are also dropping successful life that was previously associated with drug abuse as well as glorious setting, with the new feature of humorless being the undertone of the message of terror. The degree of demonization was evident in Evil Dead (2013), where drug consumption was associated with dependence, violence, as well as setbacks in life.
While the 21st-century music and cinema continue to uphold the mixed views that are typical of drug abuse portrayal in the media, the representation of both viewpoints has been critical in improving public awareness. Both positive and negative image of illicit materials expresses educational value (Primack, Dalton, Carroll, Agarwal, and Fine, 2008). The approach is a divergence from the tradition, where the media has been a tool of propaganda. Because I Got High(2000) highlighted the 21st-century atypicality. Besides the music glorifying the use of cannabis in pop culture, it was also a powerful message against its use. It painted the substance as a cause of degeneration and harmful effects that lowered quality of life. Mia's addiction in the Evil Dead (2013) also presents the modern symbol, where her demonic possession is likened to the perils suffered by adolescent drug abusers. The figurative language has become a common feature of the 21st century visual pieces of art, with the stylistic device enhancing the worth of music and movies as educational materials to youths, who are the most susceptible group.
The Influence of Media and Government Policies
The portrayal by the media has traditionally been mirroring the government policies surrounding the subject. The influence is based on regulatory issues, where drug users are depicted as unproductive and animalistic. Taylor (2008) expounds on the view, noting that the media and the government have a synergistic link, where they mirror each other. Their relationship has classically shaped the commonality in the stance that drug use is not only dangerous but also problematic, where abusers are more likely to engage in criminality. Both policy aspects and media portrayals also link some segments of the population to disparaging rates of drug usage. The disproportionate statistics are stereotypic, where simplistic notions are adopted and developed at the expense of complex and wider issues such as inequities. Taylor (2008) note that such flawed discourse in the representation of drug abuse result in insubordination, where some groups are treated as outsiders. A noteworthy example is discussed by Gelders et al. (2009), where they claim that people with limited exposure on drug abuse pick perception based on the media portrayals. Lacking first-hand experience among the audience can create an impression that is not founded on accurate fact as the media only adopts contents, reframe and modify the elements, and then feed the society. This way, the government can use the media in creating a symbolic environment, limiting the possibility for reform to address drug abuse (Watts, 2011).
Counteracting Political Propaganda
One of the contemporary developments surrounding the portrayal of illicit substance abuse, trafficking, dependence in music and films has been counteracting the political propaganda and depictions of drug use. The shift is founded on the current debate about representation and reality, where the development of digital platforms and social media calls for incontrovertible proof. The need for truthfulness is discussed by Moriarty and Kenney (1997), where they note that visual art such as films should satisfy the ofness thesis. The materials should serve existential, portrayal, and figurative functions. Besides representing unique meanings of society, music and films should also express scholastic worth by educating or criticizing the society. The display of drug use is thus being done in an approach that is not only relatable but also a way where individuals can contribute. Instead of being influenced what to do, the representation is based on building personal capacity as well as empowering people. The approach influences sustainable progression of society and furthers understanding of knowledge and development of drug policy (Boyd, 2011)
Conclusion III
The portrayal of drug use in media has provided a new side through which social menaces can be accurately depicted. It is an alternative to government's propaganda, with the dynamic, divergent, and divisive appropriation marking a new media era. The atypicality has resulted in empowering individuals, with the information enabling people to understand issues surrounding drug use.
References
Boyd, S. 2011. ‘Pleasure and pain: Representations of illegal drug consumption, addiction and trafficking in music, film and video’ in Fraser and Moore (eds), 2011. The Drug Effect: Health, Crime and Society. Melbourne: Cambridge U Press.
Diamond, S., Bermudez, R. and Schensul, J., 2006. What’s the Rap About Ecstasy? Popular Music Lyrics and Drug Trends Among American Youth. Journal of Adolescent Research, 21(3), pp.269-298.
Gelders D, Patesson R, Vandoninck S, et al. 2009 The influence of warning messages on the public’s perception of substance use: a theoretical framework. Gov Inf Q 26, pp. 349–57
Moriarty, S.E. and Kenney, K., 1997. A Philosophical Discussion of Representation.
Primack, B.A., Dalton, M.A., Carroll, M.V., Agarwal, A.A. and Fine, M.J., 2008. Content analysis of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs in popular music. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, 162(2), pp.169-175.
Taylor, S., 2008. Outside the outsiders: Media representations of drug use. Probation Journal, 55(4), pp.369-387.
Watts, R. (2003). Headlining Heroin. Media Int Aus. (108), pp. 67-81.
