Studies
show that not only are characters that use drugs and alcohol
portrayed as being attractive but also as romantic, aggressive, and hold a
higher status in society than their non-drinking counterparts. Movies
and television show alike glamorize the use of alcohol. That
influence is subconsciously making young people increase their use of
these substances. In a study done by The Medical Council on Alcohol
and ESBRA, young people who viewed a movie where alcohol was present
led to a higher overall alcohol consumption rate than those which
depicted no alcohol use, “Results
were straightforward and substantial: those in the condition with
alcohol portrayal in movie and commercials drank on average 1.5
glasses more than those in the condition with no alcohol portrayal,
within a period of 1 hour” (OxfordJournals). These studies found a direct link between the mass
media and drinking levels of young people.
Other
research studied different characteristics and compared and
contrasted how drinkers and non-drinkers analyzed those
characteristics. As you can see overall drinkers believed characters
who used alcohol were more aggressive, attractive, friendlier, had
higher economic status and had more romantic activity. All
characteristics that young people wish to exude. This study also
found that drinkers in movies are more attractive, which is obviously
not a accurate interpretation of realty (Journal of Appplied Social Psychology).
The
point of these studies was to show that the movies that many young
people who watch anything from James Bond movies to 101 Dalmatians
are shown alcohol, tobacco, and drug use. The saturation, and in many
cases positive depiction, in movies may show young people that it is
okay to drink.
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