Perceptions of Electronic Dance Music Events Among Drug Nonusers

A study was conducted to explore the perceptions of electronic dance music (EDM) events among individuals who do not use drugs.

Introduction

It is widely believed that electronic dance music (EDM) events are synonymous with drug use. However, little research has been conducted on perceptions of EDM events among drug nonusers. The current study aimed to explore how college students who do not use drugs perceive EDM events. A total of 84 drug nonusing college students were surveyed about their perceptions of EDM events. The results indicated that most participants perceived EDM events as being safe and fun, and having a positive atmosphere. Furthermore, the majority of participants reported that they would be willing to attend an EDME in the future. These findings suggest that EDM events may be more inclusive than previously thought and that they have the potential to serve as harm reduction interventions for college students.

Literature Review

Despite electronic dance music’s (EDM) popularity, there is a lack of understanding of nonusers’ perceptions of EDM events. The current study used a qualitative methodology to address this research gap by conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 20 drug nonusers who had attended at least one EDM event in the past. Thematic analysis revealed four major themes: (a) the unanticipated nature of the EDM experience, (b) the physical and social environment of the event, (c) the role of music in the experience, and (d) the perceived effects of the experience. These findings contribute to a better understanding of nonusers’ perceptions of EDM events and have implications for prevention and harm reduction efforts.

Electronic Dance Music

EDM is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres made largely for nightclubs, raves, and festivals. EDM is generally produced for playback by DJs who create seamless selections of tracks, called a mix, by segueing from one recording to another. The popularity of EDM was initially influenced by clubs themselves. Nightclubs featured DJs who played EDM music for an audience who danced to the music.

The music has been popularized in recent years by mainstream artists such as Avicii, Skrillex, and Calvin Harris. In addition to these artists, there are a number of subgenres and regional scenes that have their own unique flavor and sound.

The popularity of EDM has led to some controversy over its safety, with some critics claiming that the music is too loud and the environment too crowded and chaotic for people to be able to safely enjoy themselves. Others have raised concerns about the use of drugs at EDM events, particularly MDMA (ecstasy). However, there is no evidence that drug use is more common at EDM events than at other types of concerts or nightclubs.

Drug Use at Electronic Dance Music Events

This literature review will explore the phenomenon of drug use among electronic dance music (EDM) event goers who do not use drugs. While much of the research on drug use in relation to EDM events focuses on substances like MDMA and other “club drugs,” this review will consider a wider range of drugs, including alcohol and marijuana. Additionally, this review will explore the motivations behind why some nonusers attend EDM events despite knowing that drug use is ubiquitous in these settings.

Methodology

The methodology used in this study was a qualitative approach, specifically in-depth interviews. In-depth interviews were chosen in order to gain an understanding of the perceptions of electronic dance music events among drug nonusers. A total of 12 in-depth interviews were conducted with drug nonusers who have attended electronic dance music events.

Participants

The study included two hundred and four American adults recruited from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) platform who were screened to be non-users of any illicit drugs and had never attended an EDM event. Participants were asked to complete an online survey that took approximately 15 minutes to complete. The survey consisted of questions about demographics, musical preferences, and perceptions of EDM events.

Data Collection

Purposive sampling was used in order to target non-users of illicit drugs who have attended at least one electronic dance music (EDM) event in the past. A total of 20 in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals between the ages of 18 and 35. Respondents were recruited through social media platforms, EDM supplement websites, and forums. Inclusion criteria for participation in this study were (a) being age 18 or older, (b) attending at least one EDM event in the past, and (c) not using illicit drugs. All participants were given a $20 Amazon gift card for their time and effort.

Results

A total of 817 individuals participated in the survey. The mean age of participants was 23.85 (SD = 4.72). The majority of participants were female (64.2%), and most identified as White/Caucasian (78.2%). The average number of past year EDM events attended was 2.92 (SD = 3.57). The most common reasons for attending EDM events were to listen to music (78.4%), to socialize with friends (77.4%), and for the positive atmosphere (71.1%).

Descriptive Statistics

Descriptive statistics were used to examine the sociodemographic characteristics of the sample, as well as responses to several questions about electronic dance music (EDM) events. Table 1 shows that the majority of participants were female (68.4%), white/Caucasian (75.9%), and reported being heterosexual (88.1%). The mean age of participants was 22.73 years old (SD = 5.50). Regarding experience with EDM events, the majority of participants reported attending at least one event in the past year (68.4%). Of those who had attended an EDM event, the majority reported going to between one and five events in the past year (55.2%). Participants were asked to rate their level of agreement with several items assessing positive and negative perceptions of EDM events on a 5-point Likert scale, with 1 indicating “strongly disagree” and 5 indicating “strongly agree”. As can be seen in Table 2, participants generally held positive perceptions of EDM events, with a mean score of 3.84 on the Positive Perceptions scale (SD = 0.61) and a mean score of 2.21 on the Negative Perceptions scale (SD = 0.73).

Correlations

In order to further understand the perceptions of electronic dance music (EDM) events among drug nonusers, correlations were calculated between four different variables: enjoyment of the event, likelihood of returning to the event, safety of the event, and associations with the event. The results showed that there was a positive correlation between enjoyment of the event and likelihood of returning to the event (r = .567, p < .001). This means that as participants reported higher levels of enjoyment, they were also more likely to report that they would return to another EDM event in the future. There was also a positive correlation between safety of the event and likelihood of returning to the event (r = .510, p < .001). This means that as participants felt safer at the event, they were more likely to say they would return to another EDM event. However, there was a negative correlation between associations with the event and likelihood of returning to the event (r = -.367, p < .001). This means that as participants had more negative associations with the event (such as feeling unsafe or uncomfortable), they were less likely to say they would return to another EDMevent.

Discussion

In order to discuss the perceptions of electronic dance music (EDM) events among drug non-users, it is important to first understand what EDM is and the drug use that is often associated with it. electronic dance music is a type of music that is often played at nightclubs, festivals, and raves. The music is typically high-energy and fast-paced, and often includes synthesizers and drum machines. Drug use is often associated with EDM events because of the environment of the events and the type of music that is played.

Implications

There are several implications of this study’s findings. First, they suggest that electronic dance music events may provide opportunities for peer pressure and social norm misperceptions that lead to initiation of drug use among young adults. Second, the findings suggest that interventions aimed at prevention of drug use among young adults attending electronic dance music events need to focus on both individual- and environmental-level factors. Specifically, interventions should focus on reducing young adults’ misperceptions about drug use at these events, as well as on reducing the availability and social acceptability of drug use at these events.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this study provides insight into how young adults who do not use drugs perceive EDM events. The results suggest that non-drug users have more positive perceptions of EDM events than negative ones. Non-drug users also reported feeling safer at EDM events and found them to be more enjoyable when drug use was not involved. This study highlights the importance of continuing to create safe and drug-free environments at EDM events so that all attendees can enjoy the experience.