‘Popular Punjabi songs drive youth to drug addiction’
CHANDIGARH: Even as the Shahid Kapoor-starrer Udta Punjab has courted controversy for portraying drug abuse in the border state, popular Punjabi songs are glorifying violence and drugs with suggestive and provocative videos accompanying them, reveals a study.
Around 60% of the 200 youth interviewed across universities in Punjab are listening to Punjabi music that has reference to drugs, violence and is demeaning to women. Their song selection is directly reflected in their personality, as psychometric test has relieved that youths are highly inclined to become drug addicts and indulge in violence.
The findings were revealed in a study conducted by Dheeraj Sharma from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and his team between April 2015 and May 2016 to verify the influence of popular songs on behaviour of youth in the country.
For the study, 200 students (136 boys and 64 girls) in the age group of 18-25 from universities across Punjab were selected and were asked to submit a pen drive containing their 50 favourite Punjabi songs. The experts qualified the songs in five categories on a scale of five.
After analysing the songs, each pen drive was then given a score with a minimum score of 50 and maximum of 250. “Of the 2,000 songs, around 1,200 had mention of drugs and violence,” said Sharma.
“Nearly 60% of students were listening to songs glorifying drugs and violence,” said Sharma.
Later, each student was revisited and his/her behaviour was analysed on a psychometric purified scale wherein their attitude was measured towards three variables — attitude towards women, propensity to commit violence and intent to use drugs.
“The propensity towards drug use is same for boys and girls, but no girl was inclined towards violence. However, negative attitude towards women is common among both the sexes,” said Sharma, who is planning to submit the findings to the ministry of health and family welfare.
When asked why Punjab was chosen to conduct the study, Sharma said: “Media reports suggest that drug abuse is higher in Punjab. This is the greatest tragedy that had happened to the youth of Punjab.”