Under the Influence of our Favourite TV Shows
*Names have been changed.
Substance use is all around us. It’s a box of RTDs in the corner of a flat warming. It’s the green apple vape escaping your friend’s lips, and the little pills hidden in your closet. There is no doubting its impact, which is made more prevalent through the themes of drinking and drug use in our favourite television shows and movies.
Euphoria is a bit of a household name, even if it's not a priority watch for all. Premiering in 2019, Euphoria is regarded as excruciatingly heavy, and never seems to stray too far from worldwide conversations about substance use in a youth setting.
“Euphoria makes it seem so romantic and cool, like everyone around you is doing it,” commented Diana Reed*, 18, in regards to drinking and drug use throughout the show’s two seasons.
33% of respondents said that Rue, portrayed by Zendaya, is a character who stood out to them. “Watching her go back to drugs after every chance not to feels very raw,” said one respondent.
The words most associated with this show were “intense”, “triggering”, “glorified”, and “painfully real”. In total, 68.2% of respondents aged between 15 to 31 indicated that they’d seen at least part of the teen drama.
Euphoria is rated 18+ for its disturbing themes. Source: Neon
Drinking appears to have a less extreme impact on screen than the likes of smoking or drugs, perhaps due to its normalisation in reality. The Conversation, a leading academic platform, has an entire article on how social acceptance of alcohol allows us to ignore its harms and to further engage with drinking culture.
In television and movies, depictions of alcohol are common. Whether it be of the underage variety, as in Riverdale, or in social settings, as in Friends – it is there. Heavy drinking can be seen in Shameless, a show centred on a dysfunctional family life.
Some movies mentioned in the survey depicting substance use include The Hangover, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Girl on the Train, Saltburn, Beautiful Boy, and Requiem for a Dream. The latter appears to have a significant impact.
“I found that Requiem for a Dream displays the horrors of drug use in a very powerful and traumatic fashion, but The Hangover shows it in a much lighter and comedic fashion,” commented Betty Sanchez*, 22.
She went on to state that “Requiem for a Dream and Trainspotting showed a side of substance use [she’d] never seen before, and they unflinchingly portrayed how addiction starts and where it can lead.”
Movies, and their dramatic themes, can also provide an insight into the human experiences of characters. “Many of these movies are some of my favourites of all time. Films like Beautiful Boy, The Spectacular Now, Ben is Back, and Candy humanised addiction for me and gave me such empathy for those addicted, as well as the families impacted by addiction,” said Sally Richards*, 31.
Every movie depicting substance use mentioned in the survey. Source: Olivia Welsh.
Not all impacts are inherently “negative”, although it does seem that it differs among substances and experiences.
“I think seeing alcoholism and the abuse of drugs in these television shows opened my eyes to the possible consequences of substances. I watched Shameless in undergrad, as well as Breaking Bad, and I’d never viewed drug use or alcohol abuse in that way before,” said Richards.
There is no shortage of news coverage about the dangers of seeing addiction on the screen, and the social vulnerabilities around substance use. But there is also an aspect to media presenting this to the public which cannot be ignored: the raw reality of enlightenment, and educating viewers on the causes and consequences.
“I mostly have positive feelings on this subject… I think this material does a good job of humanising an issue that far too often is demonised and condemned,” said Richards, expanding on her past comments.
Depending on the individual, and how they associate themselves with the themes of media, the impressions left might not be so drastic.
Every show depicting substance use mentioned in the survey. Source: Olivia Welsh.
“Film doesn’t really impact my thoughts [or] views and I purely just watch for entertainment, and never really think deeply about it,” commented Sam Hill*, 20.
There are discussions around if the media is actually capturing the realities of substance use, or if they are encouraging viewers through fan-favourite characters and romanticised plots.
Like everything, it’s incredibly nuanced, and cannot be resolved with a simple yes or no. The responses I received from this survey only solidifies that the impacts differ from person to person.