Pop culture makes alcohol look cool – half of young people want artists to show more responsibility
- Nordic Alcohol and Drug Policy Network
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
16.06.2025 - More than two out of three young people are exposed to alcohol in pop culture every week, and many feel it is often portrayed as something positive and high-status. Half believe that filmmakers and musicians should take greater responsibility. This is shown in a new survey from IQ.
Pop culture plays a major role in young people’s everyday lives. A new report from IQ reveals that two out of three people aged 15 to 30 encounter content involving alcohol each week, and most perceive it as positive. Half of young people believe that artists influence attitudes toward alcohol through their lyrics.
"Pop culture plays an important role in shaping our values, and the problem is that it often reflects an outdated image of youth culture where alcohol is still central. Our survey shows that today’s young people have a different view of alcohol than previous generations," says Mojtaba Ghodsi, CEO of IQ.
Two out of three respondents said that alcohol in music and other forms of pop culture is often depicted as “cool” rather than “gross.” At the same time, there is awareness of its influence: half believe that artists and cultural figures should take more responsibility for how alcohol is portrayed.
"Culture creators shouldn’t censor themselves, but it would be valuable if culture also contributed more to portraying a more nuanced picture of how alcohol can affect young people and their relationships. Today’s music and culture scene might not directly cause more drinking among young people - this is a complex issue - but culture can unfortunately slow down the positive shift we’re seeing around alcohol norms," says Mojtaba Ghodsi.
To challenge the mainstream music scene and highlight the perspectives on alcohol that often go unheard, IQ has teamed up with artists Lamix, Lovis, Joel, and Hanna Mel to create the EP Skickat (“Sent”), featuring songs based on young people’s regretted drunk texts and the emotions tied to them. The aim is to challenge alcohol norms and get more young people to reflect on how alcohol affects them and their relationships. Skickat is released on Spotify and social media on June 16.
The EP is accompanied by behind-the-scenes content that explores the meaning of the songs and the situations and emotions that can arise from messages sent under the influence. The goal is to prompt more reflection among young people about how alcohol affects them and their relationships.
About the survey The survey was conducted by Ungdomsbarometern via a digital questionnaire with a nationally representative sample of young people aged 15–30. A total of 1,032 respondents participated between March 9 and April 3, 2025. Read more in the attached report.
The report
