Psya4 - A - Media Influences On Addictive Behaviour

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Media influences on addictive behaviour

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The '9 o'clock watershed' on television and age prohibitions on films and games are just a couple of the ways in which society tries to control how we are exposed to the influences the media might have on us.
Most media influence research has been conducted because many worry that it is having a corrupting effect, especially with regard to young people and addictive behaviours.

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Media influences on addictive behaviour

HOW

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Many worry that the characters used in films and TV programmes may influence AB in one of two ways:
i) Role models may glamorise the AB - people may imitate this in order to also receive the adolation their role models are receiving
ii) they may depict a potentially AB as an everyday behaviour - people may imitate this to be accepted as part of a particular group.

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Media influences on addictive behaviour

Influence of Films

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*Sulkanen (2007) reported that films like Trainspotting and American Beauty frequently presented the enjoyment of drug use and contrasted this with the dullness of ordinary life.
*Gunasekera (2005) reviewed 87 of the most popular films of the last 20 years and found that 8% portrayed cannabis use and 7% portrayed other illegal drug use. However this was much les than alcohol intoxication (32%) and tobacco use (68%).

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Media influences on addictive behaviour

Influence of Films

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* Just because a film portrays AB doesn't mean a person watching it will automatically mimic that behaviour. Much less research has been done on whether the media's influence is significant amongst other factors, such as peers.
* Sargent & Hanewinkel (2009) suggested that exposure to smoking 'in the movies' was a strong predictor of later smoking behaviour in 11-15 year old adolescents.
* Boyd (2008) claims films frequently demonstrate the negative impact of AB like drug use, such as physical deterioration, violence and crime.

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Media influences on addictive behaviour

Influence of TV programmes

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Television programmes might be more of an influence than films as they are more easily accesible by a wider age range.
Cumberbatch's (2005) conducted a content analysis of the top ten programmes most watched by 10-15 year olds in the UK. He found only 4% of the programmes contained no reference or portrayal of smoking or alcohol of drug use. The vast majority of scenes that included alcohol consumption or smoking portrayed it with a 'neutral' message (not saying it was a good or bad behaviour). However, the majority of the scenes depicting drug use also contained a negative message.

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Media influences on addictive behaviour

Influence of TV programmes

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70% of the TV programmes surveyed by Cumberbatch were soap operas. Families (various ages) tend to watch these together, but they might not be influencing all of the family in the same way. Children or teenagers may be more susceptible to the AB portrayed than adults as they are trying to establish their own social identity. Although they may also be a good trigger for families to discuss AB.

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Media influences on addictive behaviour

Too many types of media

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Much research has been conducted on film and television programmes. However the 'media' today is a great deal more diverse, but the research does not reflect this. Greater use of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, especially by younger people, may actually have a more influential impact on AB, and yet it is currently going unnoted by psychologists.

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Media influences on addictive behaviour

Becoming a more important area of research

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Sigman (2012) claimed that the average 7 year old in the UK, will have spent the equivalent of 1 year in front of a screen. They will also be able to access 5 screens in their home (on average). He claims TVs are now used as 'electronic babysitters'.
Nowadays, much screentime is done independently, so it is more difficult to monitor what children are watching.

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Media influences on addictive behaviour

Positive influences?

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The media can also have a positive influence on AB. Specific programmes such as 'The really useful guide to alcohol' and the 'Ask Pablo' anti-drug campaign are examples which help to promote a negative effects to alcohol and cocaine intoxication. HOWEVER, it is argued that these sorts of programmes are not effective as they promote the AB, such as marijuana use, as a 'commonplace activity', (Johnston, 2002).