Moral panic
“An instance of public anxiety or alarm in response to a problem regarded as threatening the moral standards of society.” This is the Oxford dictionary definition of this phenomenon. This is a form of fear-mongering to stop a particular arising issue normally by spreading misinformation about the issues to scare others from becoming interested. Moral panic is seen everywhere throughout time, but this is only a small dive into a huge psychological phenomenon.
Moral panic in society examples
Satanic panic 1980-1990
The Satanic panic of the ’80s was around supposed satanic ritual abuse involving murders and immoral sacrifices. This issue was created from misinformation, propaganda and a rooted hatred for satan in society. News at the time instead of being truthful painted Satanists as murderers whilst this was a normal religion. Even though this panic died out in the ’90s, it still stands today and satanism is still frowned upon.
Sexuality, gender and transgender panics 1974-present
Public discourse on gender, sexuality and the misinformation spread about these topics to scare individuals away from this is commonly regarded as moral panics.
HIV/AIDS panic
HIV/AIDS was nicknamed the “gay plague” and was stigmatized among homosexual males at the time. This illness was coined as being caused by the gay community, despite no proof at the time. When proof stated they were not the cause, the media changed and blamed the ethics of the younger generation causing another moral panic. Authors behind AIDS: Rights, Risk, and Reason argued that “British TV and press coverage is locked into an agenda which blocks out any approach to the subject which does not conform in advance to the values and language of a profoundly homophobic culture”
Moral panic in sound
The Devil’s music 1920-1980
“The Devil’s music” is a name given to music that apparently changes the listeners into satan worshippers. The first example of this was with Blues in the early 20th century, as it apparently caused the listeners to become more violent.
Then Jazz got this label, as it was completely different to other classical pieces at the time, was mostly associated with African Americans and their racism hated the genre due to this and the odd rhythms apparently converted listeners.
The last main example is the metal panic of the ’70s, accentuated by the satanic panic at the same time, which was a belief that rock and metal listeners would become Satanists who would kill people in their rituals.
Parents Music Resource Center
The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was an American committee formed in 1985 with the stated goal of increasing parental control over the access of children to music deemed to have violent, drug-related or sexual themes via labelling albums with Parental Advisory stickers. Interestingly, these stickers increased sales. The PMRC was made due to moral panic at the time, with parents becoming scared their children would become immoral. This shut down in the mid-90s
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_panic#Red_Scare_(1919%E2%80%931920,_late_1940s%E2%80%9350s)