A post on Wired yesterday discusses a news report out of Oklahoma claiming that kids are downloading mp3s that cause drug-like effects when listened to. It’s called “I-dosing” and it’s all the rage, according to the news report and some clips from YouTube in the background.
I’m reminded of the reports of strawberry-flavored meth being sold to children. (It tastes YUMMY and we know kids love snacks!) Obviously the whole thing plays to parents who fear that the internet will corrupt their kids. (It will, just not with mp3s of droning sounds.)
“Digital drugs” sounds like some crazy underworld from a Phillip K. Dick novel but, they’re just sound files. So theoretically the same sounds could be played on vinyl, right? I’m pretty sure if there were sounds that actually cause drug-like effects, we would have heard about it a long time ago and Pink Floyd records would be even cooler.
But that’s not to say music can’t have interesting psychological effects. I’ve got a good bit of music in my collection that will mess with your head.
Like this:
