The Role of TV And Media In Fighting Addiction

The media is probably among the top five most influential institutions in the world today. Ever since the dawn of media, people have relied on its different facets to give them knowledge and information. And among these facets, none might be more powerful than that of television and the internet. This is especially true in our country, where majorities of the population are uneducated and rely on television to provide them with the information they need to cope with and go on with modern living.

TV and Media is a Powerful Tool in Fighting Addiction

The significance of media and television in the community makes them a powerful tool in fighting addiction. The amount of influence that broadcasting companies and advertising agencies carry is great enough to make people understand the dangers of addiction and what they can do to prevent this disease from spreading further in their communities. Do you realize that most cases of substance and alcohol addiction actually come from the less fortunate members of our society (which, incidentally, comprises more than ninety percent of the country’s population), the very group that the media has the most influence?

While the local and regional media outlets have made their contributions in spreading information about addiction and its effects on the lives of our countrymen through occasional advertisement campaigns, do you know that there are actually numerous ways in which they could subtly insert the idea of how dangerous addiction is for the public to know? Here are some of the ways that prove how significant the role of TV and media is in fighting addiction.

Soap Operas

In the Philippines, one of the major forms of entertainment is watching soap operas. Soap operas, which air both in the afternoon and evening is a powerful way of getting people informed about addiction. Many of the primetime telecasts are given modern day settings, which most often (if not always) involve slum areas, bars, and other locations where trading of addictive substances often occur. Directors and scriptwriters can add elements in the story that talk about addiction and its effects, thus ingraining the idea in the mind of the viewers. The emotion portrayed in films and soap operas add to the effectiveness of this medium.

Music Videos

Music is one of the most common ways that people use to express themselves. And among all the other forms of media, music is the one most remembered because of its short, yet powerful way of projecting a message to its listeners. This is why music videos are very effective tools in fighting addiction: a simple song depicting the destructive effects of drugs, alcohol, smoking, gambling or computer games and you will have a good number of audiences supporting the cause.

Regular Advertisements

How many regular advertisements that you see on television talk about addiction, its negative effects, and how you should stay away from them? While there are occasions when an advertisement on the fight against addiction is seen, companies can subtly insert the idea of staying away from addictive substances in their everyday, regular commercials. Imagine a soda commercial that will have you preferring drinking it with your friends instead of taking drugs, or a life insurance commercial talking about how important your family is compared to gambling. There are so many creative ways that advertisers can use to spread the message through television.

Addiction is a terrible bane of society, a disease that corrupts and destroys the community from within if not stopped. Because of this, it is important that we do everything we can to protect the next generation from falling victim to the wiles of addiction; utilizing every form of medium we can use to convey the message to the young people. There are many things in television today that attract the youth to addiction; let us not be afraid of using the same medium to stop addiction from destroying their lives.