Understanding the Role of Media in Drug Culture: A Psychological Perspective

This article explores the link between media and drug culture from a psychological perspective. It discusses the impact of social media on drug addiction and how it is portrayed in mass media. It also delves into the sociocultural beliefs that shape drug culture and the role of peer pressure. The article provides examples of media promoting drug culture and how it can be used to control drug abuse. It also highlights the importance of prioritizing health and counseling in rehabilitation stages.

Introduction to the assessment

TABLE OF CONTENT
Drug culture.....................................................................................................................................3
Media examples of drug cultures.................................................................................................3
Link between specific media examples and psychological literature to understand role of
media in drug culture:..................................................................................................................5
Psychological literature to understand drug culture:...................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

Drug culture
The activities and way of life among people who habitually use one or more kinds of drugs
which abuses lifestyle factors such as cocaine and Heroin, LSD and substances that alters states
of consciousness. This is called drug culture widely expanding among youngsters, where it is
exponentially growing because of explicit and relevant media. The drug culture has been
functionally growing, among youngsters, where drug dealers portrays heroes such as in TV
shows and movies (Hockenhull and et.al, 2021).
Attending all night parties and drugs are part of experience, where pharmaceutical drugs
advertised on ration, television and magazines further promotes specific abuse of drug within
culture. Songs that promote usage of drugs, are also known to further expand drug culture
among youngsters within recent time where this hampers specific lifestyle factors Drug culture
specifically focuses that young people experimenting with drugs and alcohol signifies that
social networking sites are offering new dangerous and opportunities for adults and youngster.
It can be also analyzed that teens are uniquely vulnerable to effects which are being seen on
social media, addictive to peer influences and pressure.
Media examples of drug cultures
Social media examples such as Instagram, Facebook and snapchat provides environment
people are exposed towards drug culture, engaging risky behaviors of involving drugs and
alcohol addiction. This further enables to shed light on fact that celebrities such as Justin Bieber,
Drake post pictures on media that starts influencing young people and adolescents engaging to
bring towards extended behavior which leads to addiction of drugs. Illicit and presentation of
drugs as well as binge drinking makes teens socially get addicted towards culture, and creates
huge addiction (Bates, McVeigh & Leavey, 2021). It can be also analyzed that drug culture
addiction, leads to criminal behaviors and incarnation, transmission towards HIV and drug
usage which is based on high risk sexual behaviors and unemployment.
The drug culture is being prominently expanding due to continuous addiction towards drugs,
continuous usage of harmful drugs which impacts not only psychology parameters but overall
lifestyle factors. Cocaine abuse, Adderall abuse, opioid abuse and heroine abuse are some of the

prime examples of drug abuse which significantly adheres focus on extended working
determinant. Recent studies show that 75 % teenagers seeing photos on social networking sites
of younger people smoking or drinking, which encourages then to experiment in same way,
This has led to significant increase in drug culture, where social media primitively enables to
impact psychology of drug addicted people. Digital adds use celebrity music industry personnel
and attractive young models for promoting products, where it is effective for developing
influenced growth (Robertson, Broers & Harris, 2021).
Drug culture is widely growing, where it further significantly is known to be one of the
most significant parameter which has affected youngsters and adults psychologically. The usage
of social media is known with extended exposure towards drug addiction, based on specific
rapport for technical improved functional scope. The drug dealers typically use social media
platforms such as apps based on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to connectively connect
people who are drug addicted as per their preferences (Truong and et.al. 2021). Drug dealers on
Instagram use hashtags, which enables potential buyers to connect easily, and platforms to
arrange meeting which significantly raises cultural drug dealers.
It can be also analyzed that usage of social media has created havoc among people who are
drug addicted, and also created larger drug addiction abuse. Social media has functionally found
to be one of the specific platform, which has created larger addiction increase among drug
culture. People largely feel inclined towards drug culture, due to social inclination and increase
social culture towards drug usage. Social supply through friends and acquaintances preferring
method of buying and selling drugs, and social media apps and websites are quickly gaining
attraction.
The sociological beliefs shapes approach and behavior pattern regarding substance usage
and abuse, where culture plays central role in forming expectations of individuals about potential
problems and drug usage (Groat and et.al, 2022). Posts from peers and other teenager enhances
usage of drugs, where it is has become one of the prominent aspect within drug culture. Drug
abuse addiction within culture has led to rapid awareness, and larger social inclination among
people has further led to rapid increase among people towards drug addiction.
UK culture, social life, pressure from friends are some of the specific factors which leads
to increase drug addiction consistently and has built drug culture widely. Drug abuse impacts
psychological wellbeing among people, youngster’s lifestyle care which are essential to be

identified as some of the major parameters. It can be also analyzed that drug addiction and
consistent increase among social peer pressure further has led to drug addiction increase. This
has been found to be widely essential aspect, where pressure from friends and social platforms
pressure further harms working. There has been also specific increase coming up from
individual’s social drug addiction, which has further led to rapid competitive abilities.
Prioritizing health and counselling, within rehabilitation stage under UK drug culture forms
specific important aspect for strengthened improved living scenarios (Kelleher & Zecharia,
2021).
Link between specific media examples and psychological literature to understand role of media
in drug culture:
Drug culture refers to the scenario in which people in society becomes highly habitual of
consuming drugs. In this manner, society moves towards adopting the trend that has been
followed by the people. Consuming drug has become the pattern of society towards which
individual are shaping their life. Often, the sources such as media who impact individual on a
high note often impacting drug culture. As per the views of Formosa, (2019) sociocultural belief
leads to shape the approaches of behaviour in individual in context of using substance and abuse.
In similar, manner when it comes to drug culture the same attribute has been applied. Drug
culture influencing the thoughts and opinions of people. Media is a source that helps in creating
the link among the different people. Furthermore, this leads to assure impact the thought process
of people living in society.
As stated by Sultan, (2022) youngsters who are using social media are highly moving
towards adopting the drug culture. On social media platform there are large number of
influencers who have been followed by the numerous people. Thoughts and opinion of those
influencers in relation of drug culture leads to impact the thought and opinion process of the
people as well with respect of drug culture. There are large number of posts has been uploaded
over Instagram in context of drug abuse. However, the biggest irony is that, this post has been
promoted by numerous people and when its come to application then, no one apply the concept
in real life. Moreover, the peer pressures has been created on the social media towards people in
terms of adopting drug culture. The people have been altered in terms of shaping their behaviour.

For example: Large number of artist over television has been represented as consuming
drug this applied the impact over the audience who are viewing this. Thus, in this manner the
peer pressure has been created over audience in context of adopting drug culture. Media plays
vital role in solving the issues in relation of drug abuse however, the media is contributing in
creating peer pressure over the individual in terms of adopting drug culture. Often, the studies
has shown that, teens who are fond of watching R rated movies consumes Marijuana. Thus, this
is how the teens are often going towards adopting the drug culture and peer pressure towards
them is forcing them to shape their life in this manner. Apps over social media such as,
Instagram and Facebook does not contribute in impacting the human population in order to
change the drug ineffectiveness. However, the final number of drug addict can be affected with
the help of media it can either increases or decreases. Peer pressure can lead to increase the
number of drug addict. However, the social media campaign in context of drug abuse can lead to
decrease the ratio of drug addict.
Psychological literature to understand drug culture:
According to Young, (2018), drug culture is major issue that impact youth of the country,
due to proper media coverage drug abuse are under control. It is very clear that use of substance
impact psychological behaviour of individual and impact their every day activity, substance like
cannabis and alcohol not only affect behaviour of person but allow them to attempt suicide as
well. Media play crucial role in controlling drug abuse, with the help of social media campaign
government and other agency have taken control over drug abuse by highlighting bad impact that
occur due to drugs on human body.
Mass media can be used in controlling drug, the culture of drug are accurately portrayed
in the mass media. Government themselves control drug broadcast and run certain social media
campaign to aware as many audiences as possible. Social control can be seen in the mass media
process where drug culture is slowly coming to an end. However mass media give birth to drug
deviance, use of social media can impact mind of youth and impact their behaviour. Social media
can be used in promotion of drug culture because many people believe that social media is
channel of drugs supply.
According to Al Khaja and et.al (2018), social media is one of the best media platform to
control drug culture, this platform can be used to provide useful information to youth and allow
them to stay aware about the abuse and negative impact occur with the use of substance. It is

very clear that drug culture can be controlled with the help of social media but due to
misinformation, drug culture can take a arise in youth. There are many cases where social media
platform have misguided youth and push them to consumer drugs, media have power to play
with human mind as they can influence youth to consumer drugs. There are many social media
campaign that was brought down by government because they were influence youth and
promoting drug culture. Media still have power to control spread of drug across the country.
Drug information can be found on social media, some information is relevant and useful in aware
public but some information can lead to serious issue because youth might not consider positive
and negative outcome of the information.
According to Kim and et.al (2017), social media can provide enough data to prevent drug
abuse, with the help of mass media, government and agency can gather enough useful data to
control drug culture and stop drug abuse. It is very clear that use of substance impact youth and
their lifestyle, use of drug have become lifestyle for youth as they see this image and reputation
booster. Drug culture is major societal issue which can be solved with the help of social media or
other mass media, with the help of data collected from social media, government and healthcare
program can craft different strategies that will allow them to mark those weak point where social
media is used in the promotion as well as prevention of drug use.
With the use of social media platform, solution driven data can be analysed, prevention
can be done if understanding social media data and observing key element which can be used in
crafting different strategies. Drug use related communication on social media drive spread of
drugs and aware people about use of drugs for promotion of lifestyle. There are different
methods of examining social media data to craft drug prevention strategies, for example data
mining or dissemination of social media data and findings.
Thanki and Frederick (2016) argued that, social media is key element in drug culture
promotion, use of social media platform promote ways to reach drugs and consume them. There
are many statements which highlight that social media is drug market because youth who stay
connected with social media connect themselves with drug and drug related information, it is
very clear that even negative information about drug can impact youth. Author believe that social
media is actual channel of drug culture promotion, these media aware youth and allow them to
learn more about drugs.

Use of substance is considered as lifestyle where youth consider drugs for promotion of
their image, there are many cases where social media have promoted drug and its use in youth.
However, author highlighted that social media can be solution for drug culture and stopping
youth to consume drugs as social media allow government to aware youth about drugs and its
impact in human body. Social media platform are visible to every human being, use of internet
and searching about drugs may lead to serious issue. Mass media is one of the biggest channel
that promote drug culture, there is connection between both because social media manage
demand and supply of drugs.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
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equipment to people who use anabolic androgenic steroids: harm reduction and
behavior change goals for UK policy. Contemporary Drug Problems, 48(2), 135-
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