What is the Media Influence on Drugs and Alcohol Use?

The media is everywhere you turn in our digital age. We’re bombarded with reality TV shows, tweets, tabloid headlines, Instagram pictures, and more. Our phones have become mini-computers connected to cyberspace constantly. According to Pew Research in March 2018, 77 percent of Americans go online every single day. But does our society’s reliance on technology play a part in causing addiction? Let’s look into the media influence on drugs and alcohol use, especially in Generation Z.

Negative Media Influence on Drugs and Alcohol

First comes the sad news that the media can sometimes draw younger people into substance abuse. It’s common for TV shows and movies to put recreational drugs in storylines. Commercials advertising alcohol with models make binge drinking seem attractive. Companies try to make cigarettes and marijuana look fun for huge profits. Magazine pictures of celebrities using drugs and alcohol can sway fans to give them a try. From music videos to video games, substances are glamorized without showing their harmful effects.

On social media, teens frequently feel pressured by peers to drink or do drugs. They don’t want to feel left out of their group by staying sober. Today’s teens are intensely concerned with maintaining a “cool” image to remain popular. Also, cyberbullying from classmates lowers self-esteem. This puts young people at risk for mental disorders like depression, anxiety, and anorexia. Therefore, the likelihood of using drugs and alcohol to self-medicate the pain grows.

Positive Media Influence on Drugs and Alcohol

However, the media has been increasingly used for good, too. Recovering addicts can share their real stories online with thousands of followers. Activists often create YouTube videos showing the danger of drugs and alcohol. Entire Facebook pages are devoted to preventing addiction. For example, Above the Influence is an influential blog deterring drug and alcohol use. They’ve run TV ads and started the online #GotYourBack campaign to inspire sober living.

The Internet is also a vast encyclopedia for finding information about addiction. Quick Google searches can turn up hundreds of reliable sources on drug and alcohol use, addiction, and treatment. Education is vital to realize your problem and to choose the best treatment option. In fact, the SAMHSA website has created a rehab locator to filter facilities by your zip code. Oddly enough, the media can help defeat any detrimental media influence on drugs and alcohol by aiding sobriety. Online support groups are only one click away during aftercare.

Seek Addiction Help at Beaches Recovery

Do you or your loved one have a problem with substance abuse? Entering rehab now will make overcoming addiction easier. Beaches Recovery is among the premier rehab centers in Florida that concentrate on young adults. We offer a wide range of residential and outpatient programs, such as:

• Detox services at Tides Edge
• Dual diagnosis treatment
• Dialectical behavioral therapy
• Group and family counseling
• Music, bowling, and equine therapy
• Eye movement desensitization
• Sober transitional living

The friendly, caring team at Beaches Recovery will address the negative media influence on drugs and alcohol. Call us today at 866.605.0532 to find the right path toward healing.