Tag: substance use

Video Games and Substance Use

aneal Healthy Behaviors, Substance Use

October brought us costumes, candy, pumpkins, and fall fun. November brings thankfulness and the start of our holiday season. Our Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa lists start to fill with gifts to buy for our family, friends, or even oneself. One of the most asked for items for kids, teens, and young adults are video game consoles and the games that go with them. These games can be a great source for fun, but they can often have themes and story lines that are not age appropriate.

As we now know, screen time can affect a child’s brain development and mental health. A recent study showed that too much screen time can affect brain processing speed3. In addition to this excess screen time, some video games tend to be centered around substance use, violence, and other harmful themes that can affect the way our children think and behave. One study revealed that video gamers have a significantly higher consumption of alcohol than non-video gamers1.  The same study also pointed out that although the problematic use of video games is often short lived, the early use of substances increases the risk for later dependency. This study pointed out the need to teach adolescents and young adults about the possible risks of video games as well as the need for parents to monitor their use1.  Listed below are a few of the top video games that have scenes of substance use in them:

  • Fallout: This game uses drugs as “boosts,” which can lead your character to have increased intelligence, damage output and resistance. This ultimately helps with beating the game. In the game, your character has to keep taking the drugs to get the boosts, which means that your character is becoming addicted2.  (Rated M for Mature; Rated R according to Parents Guide)
  • rand Theft Auto: This series of games are notorious for their profanity, sexual references and drugs. Versions of the game explore drug dealing and building drug empires, where the character can make money by selling cocaine, heroin, downers, acid, marijuana, and ecstasy2. (Rated M for Mature; Rated R according to Parents Guide)

These are just a few examples of the many games that reference drug use. Video games can be a tool that some use to escape everyday life and live in a made up world for a little bit. The question to consider is whether or not to let your children play games that include scenes involving drugs or games that are beyond the recommended age. Parents or Guardians, please research the games that your child is asking for this holiday season and talk to them about substance use and addiction.

For more information about game ratings and game reviews, please visit the following sites:

  • commonsensemedia.org
  • imdb.com (search for your game of choice and under ‘storyline’, click ‘parent’s guide’)
  • askaboutgames.com

References:

  1. Coeffec, A., Romo, L., Cheze, N., Riazuelo, H., Plantel, S., Kotbagi, G., and Kern, L., (2015). Early substance abuse consumption and problematic use of video games in adolescence., Frontiers in Psychology. 28 April 2015.  https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00501/full?fbclid=IwAR2Dyt4KG9lsNLyxQTmeNJj8dA0XlqsDWXpqiALYutgg6z0ZFuXbT11ico
  2.  Edwrads, A., 14 Video games that let players take  drugs and completely trip.  https://www.ranker.com/list/ways-to-trip-balls-in-games/aaron-edwards
  3. Saker, A., (2019). Too much screen time changes children’s brains, study finds. USAToday. 4 November 2019. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/parenting/2019/11/04/too-much-screen-time-changes-brains-says-cincinnati-childrens-study/4156063002/

Social Media and Substance Use

aneal Healthy Behaviors, social media, Substance Use

The social media era is upon us and everyone always seems to have a device of some sort in their hands. Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat or any of the others, three out of four Americans use at least one social networking site2. Social media accounts help us to make connections all over the world with a variety of different people. They allow us to talk with friends and family that may be hours away or just down the hall from us.

Social media is known to be a source for updating users on news, discussions, and most famously talking about opinions and feelings. There is, however, a dark side to this social media world. It harvests all kinds of ads and comments on drugs and alcohol. One study was able to conclude that social media users talk about the opioid epidemic on a variety of topics; how to abuse opioids, where to buy opioids, the social impact of opioid abuse and opioid withdrawal4. On the flip side, there are also many social media accounts on the internet that are trying to increase knowledge and spread information on substance use.  There is so much information available to us at just a click of a button. Information is power and social media has the ability to give us that information quickly, but at what cost? There are many pros and cons to the social media world, below are just a few:

Pros:
· It allows teens to stay informed on current events and technology1.
· It is easier to study and carry out research1.
· It can boost self-esteem1.
· It keeps teens connected to friends and family5.
· It can make them feel less alone or isolated5.
· It allows teens to share ideas and explore their creative sides5. 		Cons:
· Teens can be exposed to cyberbullyng, depression and other mental health issues1.
· It can decrease productivity levels1.
· It can destroy social skills and self-esteem1.
· It can lead to the sharing of too much information1.
· There have been reports of social media being used as a strategy for selling drugs3.
· Teens are exposed to tobacco, electronic cigarettes, and alcohol ads from industry and posts about substances by their friends3.

The internet has allowed us to have so much ease with research and connectivity, but with the development of social media platforms, it has opened the doors for exposure to topics like substance use. It can either glorify substance use, or help to inform us on the dangers of them. Parents, take the time to discuss the dangers of social media and set limits on its use with your teens.

References:

1. Austin, K.. (2016). The Pros and cons of teens on Social media. PhoneSheriff. 23 June 2016. http://www.phonesheriff.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-teens-on-social-media/

2. Chary, M.,  Genes, N.,  Giraud-Carrier, C., Hanson, C., Nelson, L., Manini, A., (2017).  Epidemiology from Tweets: Estimating Misuse of Prescription Opioids in USA from Social Media.  Journal of Medical Toxicology. December 2017, 13(4), 278-286. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5711756/

3. Costello, C., Ramo, D. (2017). Social Media and Substance Use: What Should We Be Recommending to Teens and Their Parents? Journal of Adolescent Health. 60 (2017) 629-630. https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(17)30158-1/pdf

4. Pandrekar, S., Chen, X., Gopalkrishna, G., Srivastava, A., Saltz, M., Saltz, J., & Wang, F. (2018). Social Media Based Analysis of Opioid Epidemic Using Reddit. AMIA. Annual Symposium proceedings. AMIA Symposium, December 2018, 867–876. https://ww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6371364/

5. TISPY. 7 Pros and Cons of Social Media for Teens and How Parents Can Monitor It. TISPY: Parental Monitoring Software. https://tispy.net/blog/pros-cons-of-social-media-for-teens

OPIOIDS IN THE MEDIA

aneal Drugs, Healthy Behaviors, Prescription Drugs

The rate of overdoses related to prescription painkillers and other opioids within the U.S has increased over the past two decades; where an average of 91 Americans die from an opioid overdose each day.1 The term ‘opioid’ is becoming an everyday term heard on a multitude of media platforms. It is seen and heard on the news, social media, and in our music on a regular basis. Blame for this epidemic is being placed on many different institutions including the government and pharmaceutical companies. But the question is how is the media’s influence affecting our communities and perceptions?

Stigma is a topic of discussion that is commonly associated with the opioid epidemic. The news outlets tend to paint a picture of opioid abusers and make it hard for individuals suffering to seek out help. One article stated that, “more that 80% of stories included a depiction of a single opioid abuser, with two-thirds painting a portrait of a person involved in a criminal activity”.4 This accusation makes it difficult for the public to see that this epidemic is affecting every population and not just convicted criminals.

Social media is known to be a source for updating users on news, allowing for open discussion, and for talking about observations and feelings. One study was able to conclude that the opioid epidemic is talked about online in a variety of topics, including ‘how to abuse opioids’. This was followed by the social impact of opioid abuse and then opioid withdrawal. It also concluded that anonymous accounts are used most for one-time posting which may contain sensitive information specific to the user.3 This indicated that there is still a sense of shame and stigma surrounding opioid use.

Music is another media outlet that has the ability to connect topics to a wide range of people. It can serve as an outlet for people to escape their world. But substance use and abuse can be seen through many genres. A 30 year study was able to conclude that the mention of opioid drugs and medications emerged in the late 1990s. Since then, 57.1% of opioid-referencing songs mention opioid medication and not heroin or street slang2. As more and more lyrics contain the use of opioids the question remains; how is this affecting our youth?

Media is influential and all need to be careful and pay attention to how it affects them. Parents should continue to monitor what your child is reading, watching, and/or listening too. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months.

References:

1. AAMC. (2019). Responding to the opioids epidemic through education, Association of American Medical Colleges. 14 May 2019.  https://news.aamc.org/for-the-media/article/medical-schools-address-opioid-epidemic/

2. Hamba, C., Hanba, D., (2018). Opioid drug prevalence in top 40’s music: a 30 year review.  The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. September 2018, 31(5) 761-767.  https://www.jabfm.org/content/31/5/761.short

 3. Pandrekar, S., Chen, X., Gopalkrishna, G., Srivastava, A., Saltz, M., Saltz, J., & Wang, F. (2018). Social Media Based Analysis of Opioid Epidemic Using Reddit. AMIA. Annual Symposium proceedings. AMIA Symposium, December 2018, 867–876. https://ww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6371364/

4. Pharmacy times. (2016). How the media frames opioid abuse. Pharmacy Times. 10 January 2016. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/how-the-media-frames-opioid-abuse