Introduction
Drugs are one of the most dangerous things in society that destroy a human body, relationships, and life. Narcotic substances have existed for thousands of years in various forms and have been used for a variety of purposes from rituals to medical procedures. The current stage of rapid technological development has also influenced the emergence of new types of drugs that can be downloaded and used online.
This relatively new type is called digital drugs, or I-dosing, and are presented in the form of audio tracks that can cause changes in consciousness (Irwin, 2016). This type of drug is also spread in the Arab world, for example, among the youth of Lebanon, Iraq, and the UAE. However, elimination and destruction of such audio files are problematic processes due to their easy renewal and the difficulty of tracking them on the Internet.
At the same time, disputes about the reality of the impact of digital drugs and their effect on the body are still ongoing, since this topic has been little studied and have many controversial. However, since the spread of I-dosage in the UAE continuous (Irwin, 2016), predominantly among young people, this issue cannot be ignored. Therefore, the primary purpose of this dissertation is to determine the impact of digital drugs and the electronic addiction they cause on the youth of the UAE to highlight the existing problem in society.
Background
Digital drugs have gained popularity in recent years, and their increased distribution demonstrates the need for detailed study. Digital drugs, also known as binaural beats, are audio tracks composed of two distinct pure-tone sine waves with frequencies less than 1500 Hz with a wavelength difference of less than 40 Hz (Fawzi & Mansouri, 2017).
Usually, they are listened to through headphones in such a way that the sound frequency in one headphone is lower than in the second, which creates a sound illusion. Different frequencies create binaural beats, or waves, which the brain perceives as impulses in the midbrain tubercle and superior olive complex of the brainstem (Fawzi & Mansouri, 2017). These signals at different frequencies combine in the brain and accelerate electrical impulses along neural pathways (Fawzi & Mansouri, 2017).
As a result, these changes can affect the cognitive perception and mood of a listener, which is a manifestation of the “high state” similar to substance drugs (Irwin, 2016). However, the effects of I-dosing are still disputed by scientists and psychologists who do not believe that sounds can have the same impact as substance abuse.
The idea of binaural beats and sound effects on the brain is not new, but its use as drugs only emerged in the 21st century and has not yet gained widespread acceptance and popularity. The concept of the binaural rhythm was first discovered and used by Heinrich Wilhelm Dove, a Prussian physicist, in 1839 as a treatment option (Fawzi & Mansouri, 2017). This approach was used for the treatment of anxiety, attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder, sleep problems, and addictions. The binaural rhythm is supposed to alter brain waves to improve attention and concentration or reduce stress.
However, with the advancement of technology, these soundtracks have become publicly available to a broader audience and have raised questions about their abuse and impact on brains and cognition of a healthy person. More concerns are caused by the fact that the distribution of these audio tracks is difficult to control as their re-uploading is possible even after deletion and their identification often requires detailed and time-consuming searches.
However, while some experts worry about the negative impact of digital drugs, others dispute this claim, which prevents governments from initiating measures and programs to eliminate their spread and seek treatment. Thus, the definition of a single point of view of the impact of digital drugs is a necessity to anticipate and prevent possible negative consequences for people’s health.
The most susceptible to various types of drugs are adolescents and young people, since the process of growing up and socialisation is often associated with the search for their own individuality, experiments, and unusual experiences. At the same time, most of the important events in a person’s life take place during this period as young adults receive education, define their future profession, and establish social ties. Consequently, the devastating effects of drugs and addictions can significantly damage the future of young adults because of the inability to apply their cognitive and social skills.
This fact also applies to the youth of the UAE, the spread of digital drugs among whom has become significant. Although there are no official figures by which one can measure the extent of I-dosing among young people, multiple media publications and public concerns demonstrate the existence of the problem and need for its solution (Kennaway, 2016). For these reasons, research on the impact of digital drugs should be directed at young people, who are the most susceptible to their use.
Research Problem and Significance
The issue of digital drugs and addiction has many aspects that require attention and study. Young people are one of the most significant strata of society, since the future of the country and the people in which they live depends on their education and the ability to work and built a relationship. However, drugs that are most frequently tried and used by young people can make it impossible for a person to study properly, get a job, and fulfil their responsibilities.
However, since the impact of digital drugs is not well understood, governments and academics cannot take all the necessary steps to address them. For example, many scientists do not believe that digital drugs have the same effect on a person’s consciousness as such substance as cocaine, heroin, or hashish, and do not consider the occurrence of addiction that decrease the quality of human life (Kennaway, 2016).
Therefore, the aim of this dissertation is to determine the impact of digital drugs on the youth of the UAE. Simultaneously, the main research problem of the study is the question of whether digital drugs and electronic addiction to them have a negative impact on the youth of the UAE, preventing their healthy intellectual and social development.
Thus, this research has a great significance for the UAE and science in general. First, the process of validating or debunking hypotheses determines the impact of digital drugs on the perception and thinking of young people, which demonstrates the degree of need for action. In addition, even if the results indicate that the effect of digital drugs is insignificant but cause addiction, this fact also prompts society to take action.
Identification of factors influencing the formation of addictions and its impact on the routine duties and opportunities of youth contribute to further study of the issue and treatment for people with electronic addiction. Consequently, the significance of this study is expressed in clarifying the impact of digital drugs on youth in the UAE, which determines the future direction of government and academic work.
Literature Review and Justification of Hypothesis
The spread of digital drugs is a topic of concern to people and governments in some countries; however, a literature review demonstrates that this issue is not sufficiently studied, and the opinions of scientists differ. It is also worth noting that the peak of researches on the impact of digital drugs took place in the 1970s when they began to be used in psychiatry to treat various disorders (Kennaway, 2016). The second wave happened in 2010 due to the publicity of this issue in the media (Kennaway, 2016). However, new and relevant research and publications that study this issue have hardly been created in recent years.
Furthermore, the information provided by the authors of published sources is also ambiguous and contradictory, since some scientists say that digital drugs are not harmful to people, while others note their adverse effects. For example, Kennaway (2016) highlights in his book that most experts deny the change in the brain wave after use of digital drugs and, accordingly, their effect on the brain.
In other words, this fact marks not only an absence of negative impact on the body but also the lack of any effect confirming the narcotic influence of I-dosing. Irwin (2016) also says about insufficient researches of this issue but notes that the harmful effect on the body has not been determined either. Therefore, the main emphasis of these works is the denial of the impact of digital drugs on the human body, including young people.
However, the authors of other studies provide examples of the harmful effects of digital drugs on people, and especially on adolescents and young adult. Khudhair (2019) argues that I-dosing has the same impact as smoking hashish or using cocaine and devastating effects on human health and the ability to built social connections.
In addition, the use of digital drugs causes digital or electronic addiction; that is, the desire to constantly use binaural audio tracks to relax and receive emotional shifts (Khudhair, 2019). If this desire is strong and grows into a necessity, then these features indicate the development of addiction
At the same time, the thesis of the first group of authors about the absence of the effects provoked by sounds does not contradict the idea of acquiring addiction. Kennaway (2017) notes that the feelings of I-dosing can emerge due to a placebo effect when the listener imagines a change in his or her conditions. Therefore, even if digital drugs do not have an effect directly related to binaural beats, addiction can be caused by a placebo effect.
In other words, the person can misbehave due to his or her imagination, and this behaviour can also be reflected in his or her ability to think or behave in society. Such psychological addiction is more challenging to treat than a physical dependence on a narcotic substance (Fawzi. & Mansouri, 2017). Thus, regardless of whether there is a direct connection between binaural beats used to create digital drugs, they can cause psychological addiction.
There is also another argument supporting the link between digital drugs and addiction. Fawzi and Mansouri (2017) note that another harmful effect is that digital drug can provoke the desire to use other drugs. Easy access to I-dosage allows young people to find their first drug experience without difficulty, and to move to the next level after getting enjoyment from it. Such experiences can trigger substance abuse and lead to physical addiction. Therefore, these facts substantiate the hypothesis that digital drugs cause addictions that hinders the regular life of young people.
Moreover, some researchers have also found a link between digital drug use and a decline in cognitive abilities of a brain. First, Khudhair (2019) argues that I-dosing has the same effect as drugs like marijuana or hashish, which means slowing down reactions, feeling relaxed, and losing productivity due to being out of touch with reality. These traits show changes in information perception, concentration, and mindfulness.
Aniței and Chraif (2011) also support this idea with a test to assess students’ cognitive ability after using I-dosing. The authors argue, in their research, that the reactivity of the brain also increases in this case, which affects concentration. However, the study did not say whether this association is a consequence of exposure to binaural beats or self-conviction of the participants. Hence, these facts form two hypotheses that digital drug use reduces attention and concentration in young people, as well as increased brain reactivity in youth.
To sum up, a review of the literature and background made it possible to identify and formulate the following hypotheses:
- H1. Digital drugs cause addictions that hinders the regular life of young people.
- H2. Digital drugs have and reduce.
- H3. Digital drugs have increased brain reactivity in youth.
Theoretical Concepts
Key terms and concepts need to be defined to avoid misinterpretation of results or their ambiguous explanation. The central terms of this study are concepts such as digital drugs, addiction and electronic addiction. Digital drugs, also known as binaural beats, or I-dosing, are defined as audio tracks that include two distinct pure-tone sine waves with frequencies less than 1500 Hz with a wavelength difference of less than 40 Hz (Fawzi & Mansouri, 2017). Different headphones send sounds with different frequencies that are not audible, but this difference causes binaural beats and impulses in the brain.
The next term is the concept of addiction, which in this context has a double meaning. According to Shaffer (2017), “addiction is a relationship between a person and an object or activity” in which an object becomes increasingly more important (2017, para. 5). A person with addiction succumb impulses and a desire to use an item or activity, even if it is harmful. In the context of the research, addiction is defined by the constant psychological willingness to use electronic resources, or digital drugs, to feel emotional satisfaction and relaxation. In addition, the study will use the more traditional definition of drug addiction, which denotes the psychological and physical manifestations of the disorder.
Research Methods and Procedures
The research involves testing several hypotheses; therefore, a quantitative research method will be used for it; however, it is divided into two parts with different types of instrument. Students of UAE universities who had and did not have experience of using digital drugs will take part in the study. Participants will be invited and selected by using sending confidential online questionnaires with permission of universities’ management.
The TACO test, as well as a polygraph, will be used to test the hypothesis about the influence of digital drugs on attention and concentration, as well as the reactivity of the brain, Aniţei and Chraif (2011) used a polygraph to test brain reactivity of participants during a test after listening to digital drugs audio. Scientists measured GSR amplitude, GSR return distance in pixels, heart rate, blood pressure, blood volume pulse, respiration Amplitude P1, Respiration return P1 (Aniţei & Chraif, 2011).
These data allowed them to determine changes in the reactivity of the participants’ brains, so this approach will be used to test hypotheses. Two TACO tests will be performed on two groups of participants to determine the effect of digital drugs on concentration and attention (“TACO,” n.d.). The first group includes students who have not previously used digital drugs, and the second consists of those participants who have use I-dosing at least one a week. The first test will be done before listening to the sounds of digital drugs and the second after using them. During both tests, participants will be connected to a polygraph.
Students of the second group also will take a self-survey by filling out a questionnaire to test the hypothesis about the occurrence of addiction. The questions will be aimed at determining the factors characterising addictions, as well as at the participants’ awareness of this state. Data analysis will be conducted by using statistical tools and the latest CSS software.
Assumption
The main assumptions of this study are based on its hypotheses. Firstly, presumably, the test will confirm the hypothesis of a decrease in attention and concentration after I-dosing, and the participants of the second group will show a lower result during the first test. However, the indicators will be different due to the various possibilities of perception of the frequency by people. Second, it is likely that members of the second group will demonstrate the characteristics of addiction, but part of the group does not recognise this fact. In addition, hypotheses about changes in attention and reactivity will be simultaneously confirmed or refuted, since they are interrelated and refer to brain activity.
Limitations
The study has several limitations related to the availability of equipment, sample size and survey method. The first limitation exists because polygraph and test data indicate external manifestations of changes; however, these shifts can also be caused by other factors, such as excitement or emotion. More accurate data can be obtained by conducting a medical scan of the brain and areas responsible for attention, perception and cognitive abilities of a person.
The sample of respondents is also limited, which can prevent full reflections of the tendencies among young people of different ages. However, this sample is optimal under the research conditions. Another limitation is associated with the study of the hypothesis about the development of addiction to digital drugs as they rely on the self-survey of respondents. Participants can knowingly or unknowingly alter the responses, denying an addiction.
Therefore, further research should take into account these nuances to obtain more accurate data. In addition, possible directions for future research can be the study for methods of prevention and treatment of addiction, as well as the importance of educational programs in this process.
References
Aniței, M., & Chraif, M. (2011). The influence of digital drugs on young perception. International Conference for Future Education. Web.
Fawzi, M. & Mansouri, F. (2017). Awareness on digital drugs abuse and its applied prevention among healthcare practitioners in KSA. Arab Journal of Forensic Sciences and Forensic Medicine. 1(6). Web.
Irwin, S. O. N. (2016). Digital media: human-technology connection. Lexington Books.
Kennaway, J. (2016). Bad vibrations: The history of the idea of music as a cause of disease. Routledge.
Khudhair, A.A. (2019). Overcome on deviant behavior over the internet (digital drugs). Dijlah Journal, 2(2), 32-38.
Shaffer, H. J. (2018). What is addiction?Harvard Health Publishing. Web.
TACO. (n.d.). Web.
The GN Focus Team. (2018). ‘Digital drugs’ could tempt users to go further: Doctor. Health – Gulf News. Web.