From Screen to Substance: How Mass Media Influences Drug Abuse - HARI PRIYAA M

What if the first push towards drugs does not come from a street corner, but from a screen?

Imagine a teenager casually scrolling through social media and coming across a celebrity drinking, smoking, or using drugs. They look happy, confident, and like they are having the time of their life. There is rarely any sign of the harm or consequences behind that picture. Instead, drug and alcohol use can be made to look attractive, exciting, and even normal.

So, what message does a young mind receive?

“Maybe drugs aren't that dangerous.”

This is where mass media stops being just a source of entertainment. Television, movies, newspapers, magazines, and social media have a powerful influence on the way people think and behave. When drinking, smoking, or drug use is repeatedly shown as something fun, stylish, or normal, especially in front of young audiences, it can slowly change their perception of these harmful habits.

And then came social media, which has made the situation even harder to ignore.

Young people experimenting with drugs is certainly not a new problem. But today, the bigger concern is how easily drug-related content can reach them. They do not even have to look for it. A video, a post, or a celebrity's picture can bring it straight to their screen. According to the research, teenagers who regularly use popular social media platforms were more likely to drink alcohol, use drugs, and purchase tobacco products.

The worrying question is:

Are we simply watching this content, or is this content slowly influencing what we consider normal?

Then comes FOMO - the fear of missing out.

When young people constantly see others smoking, drinking, or using drugs while appearing happy, successful, and accepted, the pressure to “just try it once” can become difficult to resist. When celebrities present such behaviour as stylish or exciting, something dangerous can easily start looking glamorous and harmless.

But there is an even darker side to this.

Social media can also affect a young person’s mental health and self-esteem. Someone who is already struggling emotionally may turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to escape, relax, or forget their problems. What starts with curiosity, peer pressure, or simply wanting to fit in can slowly turn into something much more serious.

The screen itself is not the enemy.

The real danger is what we allow the screen to make normal.

At the same time, the media can be a powerful tool for good. The same platforms that glamorize drugs can also show their consequences, spread anti-drug messages, and educate young people about the risks.

So, the real question is no longer “Are drugs dangerous?”

The real question is: What are we allowing young people to believe about them?

When millions of young people are constantly connected to social media, what they see, follow, and engage with can shape what they begin to accept as normal.

HARI PRIYAA M,

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,

ERODE COLLEGE OF LAW.