Teenagers Using “Digital Drugs” To Get High?!?

Posted by ralph on July 14, 2010

Headphones I’m finding this, strange. Maybe I am old-fashioned about so-called drug use … but where there is a perceived threat to young people, your local TV news folks will be on the story. Ryan Singel writes on WIRED’s Threat Level:

Kids around the country are getting high on the internet, thanks to MP3s that induce a state of ecstasy. And it could be a gateway drug leading teens to real-world narcotics.

At least, that’s what Kansas News 9 is reporting about a phenomenon called “i-dosing,” which involves finding an online dealer who can hook you up with “digital drugs” that get you high through your headphones. And officials are taking it seriously.

“Kids are going to flock to these sites just to see what it is about and it can lead them to other places,” Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs spokesman Mark Woodward told News 9.

I-dosing involves donning headphones and listening to “music” — largely a droning noise — which the sites peddling the sounds promise will get you high. Teens are listening to such tracks as “Gates of Hades,” which is available on YouTube gratis (yes, the first one is always free).

Those who want to get addicted to the “drugs” can purchase tracks that will purportedly bring about the same effects of marijuana, cocaine, opium and peyote. While street drugs rarely come with instruction manuals, potential digital drug users are advised to buy a 40-page guide so that they learn how to properly get high on MP3s.

Kansas’ Mustang Public School district isn’t taking the threat lightly, and sent out a letter to parents warning them of the new craze. The educators have gone so far as to ban iPods at school, in hopes of preventing honor students from becoming cyber-drug fiends, News 9 reports.

Read More: WIRED’s Threat Level

Posted in: Bizarre, Drugs, Emerging Issues, Futurism, Internet, Media, Music, Technology, WTF, Youth

Hadrian999

lets criminalize happiness.
http://twitter.com/Vordreller Vordreller

At the start, it sounds like one of those Buddhist gongs/wok-dishes, going around in it with a ceremonial staff.

But in this case, non-stop.

Besides that, I hear some pink noise in the background.

More info: http://simplynoise.com/

The up-going pitch is really annoying. Couldn't keep listening.
MO

The Hummer – Devin Townsend
DeepCough

Fuck this monkey shit. “Gate of Hades” is an awfully apt song title for this hellish cacophony trying to pass as “narcotic.” Two minutes into this track, it did nothing but give me a grating headache. And the idea that you would need a 40-page manual just use this bullshit makes it even more distasteful. It's like those “Legal Bud” websites: they sell products purported to have the same effect as the illegal substance, however, in reality, it's a waste of time and money, and it has some lousy side effects, too. You're more likely to get high off of Dark Side of the Moon than this audio snake oil–and you're betting smoking, snorting, or injecting the real thing, too.
Adam F

It sounds like Britney Speerz, if I play it in reverse, will I be compelled to kill my goldfish in a satanic rage, and then blame Slayer records?
Yalor

I kinda like it…
malatesting123

This is incredibly stupid. Buy good weed and vaporize it, fools.
Randomparadox

This really isn't news. This was big about a year and a half to two years ago. I've used the program personally. It uses binaural beats. Some people are susceptible to it, others learn to be, and for a lot of people it never works ever. I've had some success with it. It's not even like real drugs. It's more or less a meditation aid.
Your name

I didn't know kansas had news?!? let alone 9 channels…huh, I'm impressed. Just wait till they get a hold of some peanut butter and see what they come up with.
Individuation

Jeez, people. This is binaural brainwave entrainment, it's been around for years. It purportedly changes your brainwave state by simulating the target frequency through the use of stereo headphones. Your brainwaves change to the same states when you're relaxing, sleeping, or dreaming. Another example of ignorant squares coming down on something they know nothing about. (In reference to the report on this) More about the oil that's been gushing into the gulf for months, please?
tonyviner

It sure beats some of the stupid shit I have tried.
vicwiz

Its been around for years and its called drum and bass listen to it at http://www.bassdrive.com
justagirl

wha? no goldie?
http://www.thecarnivalnoir.com Haystack

Why do kids today need to go looking for “highs” when they have all the television and prayer that they need right at home?
vicwiz

those are noise tracks. they play the legend goldie from metalheadz at bassdrive. now those tracks make you feel high. anything with just single tones is placebo and made by lazy no talent cons
justagirl

yes, i noticed. i'm glad you agree. i was worried for a minute there.
A bad joke

For a media scare, this is pretty weak. We've known music influences our brains for quite a while now. By quite a while I mean, a thousand years.

Also: What oil? Our kids are getting high off music!
Concerned parent

OMG my kids are getting high off of oxygen OUTSIDE!!!! I can't believe it!! We need to join together and stop our children from breathing!.. I've even seen granny with an O2 tank! Must be the damn drug pushers selling to old ppl. We need to stop this NOW! Join with me! For our kis sake!!1!!!!!!111!!
http://twitter.com/patfireworks__ Patrick Sullivan

because television sucks and prayer is a joke.
The_Strange_Remain

You pretty much answered your own question
vicwiz

anyone can make mind altering noise just buy propellerheadz Reason 4.0 or 3.0 it comes with all you need. I made those in less than an hour each. But Drum n Bass rules and I only listen to it at http://www.bassdrive.com. dont worry about me i know whats good send some vinyl to those poor Oklahoma kids and start the party up then parent are going to have something hip to worry about.
justagirl

HmmmM. *marge*
http://thefirstchurchofmutterhals.blogspot.com/ mutterhals

Is this like the 'brown' note?
Dq1255

Way to be about….5 years behind the times.
froggy

come on, people will not get physically addicted to a mp3, and if you dont know the difference between physical addiction and psychological addiction, you shouldn't be talking about addiction in the first place
perniciousknid

Its the great banana skin hoax for the 21st century. But insofar as getting high off music goes, there are far far better things to listen to. I once had the privilege of being at a Tuvan throat singing performance in an acoustically perfect enviroment and that was quite mind-altering indeed. As was attending a Funkadelic concert, but that could have been all the second hand smoke floating around…
Littlewing194270

Such bullshit. Seems like people are willing to ban anything these days just because they are afraid of it. If any ban does restrict 'i-dosing' they may as well just ban music all together. We wouldn't want people feeling good about themselves, would we?
Ff

haha only the yokels in kansas… and well quite a few states im sure…
SorrowfulDreamer

Yeah – talk about sensationalizing! Talking as one who has tried this (i'm a 32 year old composer, by the way, not an 18 year old junkie!), all the talk of this being a drug is really a bit pathetic. That basically springs from the marketing approaches of the i-dose company, which are very effective. They trumpet around that these have an effect similar to cocaine or heroin or alcohol or other things and they actually produce pieces under those names, trying to cash in on drug culture. I have never tried cocaine or heroin, so cant really say how it compares, but the alcohol one certainly didn’t make me drunk!!! These things do have a certain effect though. They can relax you or energize you, can even be discomforting if intended. They can cause physical sensations to a limited degree, just like other music sometimes can, and can sometimes be quite intense and produce an effect that can linger for a long while. It's an interesting curiosity, but pretty much harmless as it just plays with states that are already built into the brain, like dreams and emotions. This Kansas school obviously doesn’t really know what it is and presumably haven’t tried it and yeah yeah its the usual shame when low-intelligence people in a position of power follow knee-jerk reactions without thinking or investigating.
http://twitter.com/SassyBookWormJS Jayme

Music has ALWAYS been my drug, this is nothing new.
Spacegirlholly

Wow, talk about media manipulation.. sound therapy is a valid healing modality. Sure some people may wish to do this just for the experience and that is perfectly fine. I am concerned that this article has chosen the example clip of “gates of hades” it is clear that is used to manipulate the viewer into believing that binaural beats are demonic. There are hundred of clips to choose from and the majority are used for meditative states and called named such as, “digital sunshine” or “blue shifting”.

Dear mass media,
stop trying to fill our world with fear and ignorance.
We are beyond this now.
vicwiz

wow i feel you are pretty awesome. 1000 cool points!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rose

I mean this is really just a form of meditation.
justagirl

you're sweet. HEY! you morphed!!
Wyattface

Digital Drugs?

How fucking retarded can people be?
Victor

i blossomed keep in touch i subscribed to your feed of comments.
Guest

Someone has succeeded in the best trolling ever.
This is how it went down:
“Dude lets make the most mind bogglingly, face-meltingly, annoying track ever and say it gets you high so people will listen to it in hopes it will fuck them up!”

Then the simpletons in Kansas heard about it an ate it hook line and sinker.
noah

It's fake.

It works like hypnosis. You can't actually make people think they're a chicken, but 1/3 of people are willing to act like they think they're a chicken. Right on the idoser website it says it only works on 1/3 of people: dead giveaway it's a scam.

Basically you give some (pseudo) scientific-sounding reason why listening to annoying repetitive noises will somehow make you feel high, and about 1/3 of people will take that as an opportunity to act like a nut. 1/3 will be indifferent, and 1/3 will smash their headphones in a rage and ask for their money back (or never fall for it in the first place).

Another example of this 1/3 rule is when studying psychopaths; 1/3 of people will side with the psychopath and everything they say, 1/3 will be indifferent, and 1/3 won't buy a word of it.

Now apply that to ghost and UFO sightings, etc. 1/3 of people will say, “yeah, I saw it too!” Scary.
justagirl

LOL!!! WHAT does THAT mean???
Wacky Tobaccy

Wow the fear of this is ridiculous. Next they're gonna say meditation will lead to hard drugs. Plus there is NO way any of those “i-doses” could be as intense or amazing as any real drugs.
Wacky Tobaccy

Buy good weed and take it any way haha
Wacky Tobaccy

Hahaha are you serious? Television's fun, not as incredible as weed or mushrooms or anything. Prayer? Well not evryone's religious, buddy, don't assume they must be because you are. Also, i-dosing is retarded, just smoke some weed instead haha.
Charlie

KITES RULZ
http://www.facebook.com/victor.r.franca Victor

nothing really, just the fact that it took me a long time get an avatar on there. lol jks. internetz needs character color code to indicate intonation.
http://twitter.com/klintron Klint Finley

i-Doser swiped code from the free, open-source project SbaGen – http://uazu.net/sbagen/i-doser.html

You can find a torrent of i-Doser files ported to SbaGen http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4166239/76_diff...
Chuck Taylor

Gimme some OG kush, fuck this Gate of Hades shit.
ScottyB

Rofl. This is the most retarted thing I've ever seen. Those sounds are about as effective in getting someone high as actual music. Parents will look for any excuse these days to fear for their children and put more restraints on them. Deprive them of the same simple comforts you all had growing up. If kids have to resort to shit like this already, they're probably only going to get into more and more bizarre things as time goes on and their shackles grow tighter. It's not going to be pretty, and it's not going to healthy. Really folks, Is a little weed all that bad?
justagirl

oooooh! i thought it meant something TOTALLY different. silly me.
Emkinator

*Facepalm*
This is just mindless fear mongering.
Binaural beats are harmless.
Arse

i…..am…….sooooo high right now

Teenagers Using “Digital Drugs” To Get High?!?

more disinformation

more disinformation