ROLE OF MEDIA AO3

• Gunasekera et al (2005) looked at 87 of the most popular films of the past twenty years. Use of cannabis featured in 8%, tobacco (68%) and drunken behaviour (32%). Again, they concluded that portrayal tended to be positive and the dangers of associated behaviours such as unprotected sex were not considered.
• This supports the view that the media can be an influential factor in addictive behaviour and demonstrated that films portray addictive behaviours such as cannabis use, tobacco use and alcohol in a positive manner which could increase the risk of people engaging with and becoming addicted to such substances.
• However, Boyd (2008) has noted that there are equally as many films that portray the negative consequences of drinking and drug taking. It is, therefore, just as likely that adolescents will be put off these activities as encouraged to engage in them.
• This therefore criticises the idea that the media is linked with an increased risk of addictive behaviour because if the media also portrays the negative consequences of such behaviours than we could also argue that adolescents will be less likely to engage in addictive behaviours because of vicarious punishment.
• A methodological issue is that research into the role of the media may also lack population validity as much of it is conducted with adolescents. This is largely because they are more susceptible to social influences and therefore effects are more easily detected; different effects might be seen in adults.
• Social psychological explanations of addiction are reductionist and too simplistic ignoring many other important factors, which could play a role. For example, Kobus (2003) suggested that although peers may influence engage ng in addictive behaviours and substances, larger social contexts like family and society are bigger influences on an addict. This criticises social psychological explanations as growing up in a household where addictive behaviour is the social norm or in a society where addiction is encouraged would have a greater influence than peers would.
• Social psychological explanations are also deterministic and ignore the role of free will in decision making processes. Not every individual that is exposed to the media or a peer who engages in addictive behaviour will observe and imitate this behaviour.

  This is a criticism of the explanation as not all individuals who have peers that engage with addictive behaviour will engage with the behaviour themselves. Individuals have personal autonomy to make their own decisions so it is simplistic to imply that they will follow behaviour without any thought process.