Brett.Ullman

Category - media

Rap Music and Substance Use: Addiction and Mental Health

1 month ago
brett ullman
media, mental health
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Came across this really good article on drugs and mental health looking at it from the standpoint of rap music. It goes through the history of drugs and alcohol through the last few decades. Well worth the read.

In a 2013 interview with The Arsenio Hall Show, Kendrick Lamar said in reference to molly and its popularity in rap music, “You have certain artists portraying these trends and don’t really have that lifestyle and then it gives off the wrong thing.”

In 2017, Beeson and a team of researchers at Northwestern University conducted an analysis of the Billboard Hot 100 year-end charts from 2007 to 2016 to determine the frequency of alcohol-related terms in popular music.

His team found that about 33.7 percent of rap songs on the Billboard charts contained at least one reference to alcohol. The rappers with the most alcohol mentions in their Billboard Hot 100 music during that time period were Flo Rida, Drake and Lil Wayne.
Beeson said alcohol mentions are not necessarily an endorsement of drinking. While some rap artists examined in the analysis promoted alcohol use, others stressed the dangers of heavy drinking.
“The music does not cause teens to drink, but it can influence them to do so,” said Beeson. “There is research suggesting that a correlation exists between mentions of alcohol and drug use and teen substance use.


“I couldn’t believe that anybody could be naturally happy without being on something. So I would say to anybody: ‘It does get better.’”
EMINEM

“My anxiety and depression have ruled my life for as long as I can remember and I never leave the house because of it.”
KID CUDI

Click here for the entire article

YouTube influencers: Inside the weird world of social media burnout

1 month ago
brett ullman
media, parenting
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Great video talking about social media. Something parents and students should watch. * small language

What’s it like to have millions of fans when you’re 10? What’s it like to have thousands of people insult or adore you? Welcome to the strange world of social media superstars.

Stephanie Hegarty meets the young people whose lives are built around likes, but are increasingly suffering from mental health problems and burn out.

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this video, you can find lots of advice and information at BBC Action Line.

Click here to watch the video.

Are clean versions (radio edits) of songs ok?

2 months ago
brett ullman
brett ullman, Canadian content, media, parenting
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I am often asked by parents about whether the “clean version” of a song is ok for their kids. I have to be honest that even the discussion of this makes me think that there is very little discernment in the music that we put into our lives. If a song needs a clean version that it is almost always inappropriate no matter if there is a clean version or not. If we need to make a clean version the song has not changed. If the language that is removed is just swearing, the swearing is really still there. If it is sexual, misogynist content, it is still there. Whatever it is is still there. Clean versions, for the most part, are just about hiding the bad content for radio or other places.
Now someone is going to tell me of a one-off song with a single line of language in it and start a debate on it. I will give you debate on that. Was there some choice with words and it was there to make a point. Even though I still might disagree with it I will give you an argument.
That is not what most of our most of the music we are talking about is like today.

Love to hear your thoughts on this as a parent.

A New Narrative: Talking to your teens about technology: Vlog 5 of 5: Video Games

October 31, 2018
brett ullman
brett ullman, Canadian content, media, parenting, technology
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This is Part 5 of a 5 part video blog (vlog) series where we will be looking at trying to change the narrative of how we speak to our kids about technology. We will look at current ways parents talk to teens about tech and then look at a new narrative that teens will respond to better. We need to move from telling to teaching. Today we look at a new way to talk to our kids around the conversations on Video games.

A New Narrative: Talking to your teens about technology: Vlog 4 of 5: Music

October 24, 2018
brett ullman
brett ullman, Canadian content, media, parenting
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This is Part 4 of a 5 part video blog (vlog) series where we will be looking at trying to change the narrative of how we speak to our kids about technology. We will look at current ways parents talk to teens about tech and then look at a new narrative that teens will respond to better. We need to move from telling to teaching. Today we look at a new way to talk to our kids around the conversations on Music in our Christian world today.

Vlog #1 – Phones

Vlog #2 – Social Media

Vlog #3 – TV/Movies

Vlog #4 – Music – this video

Vlog #5 – Video Games – coming next week

Is Netflix the New Heroin?

October 22, 2018
brett ullman
Canadian content, media, technology
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What a great question. How have your viewing habits changed since Netflix?

Netflix is the new heroin. Hyperbole? Barely.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Renee Carr explains, “The neural pathways that cause heroin and sex addictions are the same as addiction to binge-watching. Your body does not discriminate against pleasure. It can become addicted to any activity or substance that consistently produces dopamine.”

According to Deloitte research, 70% of consumers binge-watch an average of five episodes in one sitting. Another study found that those ages 14-33 binge watch an average of 5 hours in a single sitting. When you stop and think about these stats there is only one way to define them: addiction.

Click here for the entire article and video