a case study of the circumstances of mv theres no one at all composed by son tung mtp in vietnam

A study on the relationship between the influences of content in music videos and audience’s psychology A case study of the circumstances of MV... A study on the relationship between

A study on the relationship between

the influences of content in music videos and audience’s psychology A case study of the circumstances of

MV <There’s no one at all= composed by Son Tung MTP in Vietnam

RESEARCHER’S NAME Vũ Thành Vinh - SS170704 Lê Hồng Hải - SS170924 Tống Ái Linh - SS170526 Nguyễn Trần Bâng Bâng - SS171045

Nguyễn Hải Hà Phương - SS17033 Đinh Thùy Linh - SS170523

Trần Gia Ánh - SS170523 Lecturer: Ms Le Thi My Danh

FPT UNIVERSITY HCMC, 2022

A study on the relationship between

the influences of content in music videos and audience’s psychology A case study of the circumstances of

MV <There’s no one at all= composed by Son Tung MTP in Vietnam

RESEARCHER’S NAME Vũ Thành Vinh - SS170704 Lê Hồng Hải - SS170924 Tống Ái Linh - SS170526 Nguyễn Trần Bâng Bâng - SS171045

Nguyễn Hải Hà Phương - SS17033 Đinh Thùy Linh - SS170523

Trần Gia Ánh - SS170523 Lecturer: Ms Le Thi My Danh

FPT UNIVERSITY HCMC, 2022

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

The study team is grateful for the assistance of Ms Danh Le and Ms Hien Nguyen, who made a significant contribution to the successful completion of this article Furthermore, our research team would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the FPT University for providing us with the chance to perform this research in the "Khoa Hoc Tinh Van" competition Finally, our research team is grateful to Mr Tai Vu for his assistance in reaching out to our targeted survey participants

TABLE OF CONTENT: 1 INTRODUCTION 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 The current study of the influence of music on mass audience’s psychology

2.2 Theoretical basis: the impacts of media on audience's cognitive psychology based on Schema Theory

2.3 The influence of Music and Music Videos on adolescence: 3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS

3.1 Schema (Script) Theory

3.2 An ANALYSIS of the case study from the psychology perspective 3.2.1.1 Effects of the music video on the adolescence

3.2.1.2 Son Tung MTP effect on the audience, especially the young 3.2.2 Music video release time

3.2.3 Not suitable for Vietnamese culture 4 RESEARCH METHOD

4.1 Survey 4.2 Research 5 RESULT 6 DISCUSSION

6.1 Analyze the survey results:

6.2 Strengths and limitations of this study: 7 CONCLUSION

8 REFERENCE

Abstract : It would seem plausible that the potential for learning social information and the potential for psychological excitation and mood effects would be increased in the medium because music videos give a dramatic visual dimension to the music (Desmond, 1987) They evaluated the visual dimension because it gave the music meaning (or contributed a different kind of meaning) Therefore, incorporating music videos with music might have an impact on the psychology of the viewer In order to prevent harming society, it is essential to analyze the video's visual components before publishing it thoroughly This paper will study the unfavorable elements of the music video "There's No One At All" by a Vietnamese singer named Son Tung M-TP, which it has been agreed to sanction from an academic standpoint The paper also collects audience surveys regarding this sanction decision and compares them to media psychologists' thoughts to see if there is an agreement between the two

Keywords : music video, media psychology, social network, media impact

1 INTRODUCTION:

Nguyen Thanh Tung (popularly known as Son Tung M-TP, born in 1994) is a well-known singer, songwriter, and producer of the pop/hip hop genre in Vietnam Songs composed and performed by Son Tung, such as "Chắc ai đó sẽ về", "Lạc trôi", and "Nơi này có em" were well received by the public, transforming his name Son Tung into a phenomenon of music product release on social networks Son Tung, according to the Vietnamese and foreign Press, is a "pop phenomenon with the largest effect on the Vietnamese music business" "brings huge revenues" and "is one of the Vietnamese musicians in need who must be known" (VnExpress, 2018) On April 28, Son Tung M-TP released a music video titled "There's No One At All." This MV had approximately 6 million views and over 100,000 comments on YouTube after only 18 hours of broadcasting However, the premiere MV faced substantial community complaints due to a defeatist attitude, which negatively influenced young people (Yen,2022)

On the other hand, the Performing Arts Department sent a request to Google to prohibit the newest MV of singer Son Tung M-TP on April 29, 2022 The Department claimed that the music video would affect young people in society today because of its dark imagery and depressing message

The MV "carries a negative, non-educational message with many scenes of chasing, beating, violence, and ending with the character's suicide image, which has a strong impact on viewers' psychology, easily influencing, orienting negative behaviors of society, especially children", according to the Department of Performing Arts and the Department also determined that the MV contains the statement "contrary to national norms and customs, negatively harming religion, ethics, public health, and psycho socialism" (Hong,2022) The MV was therefore removed that day

This paper aims to provide a general overview of the relationship between media effects and audience psychology by analyzing and discussing some of the negative content details in the MV "There's No One At All" with a focus on pointing out whether this MV's content impacts negatively on viewers' psychology in general and young viewers in particular By conducting a survey on Facebook, the paper examined responses from young audiences, hence comparing them with academic perspectives to find out if there is an agreement between the two The paper also points out some limitations while carrying on the research, thus giving recommendations that could be useful for future studies and implementations 2 LITERATURE REVIEW:

2.1 The current study of the influence of music on mass audience’s psychology: Some specific research has been conducted on the impact of music on adolescence and children However, those studies usually discuss the effects of lyrics or the melody of the music video on viewers, so it is hard to find research that is appropriately focused on the image's effect of MV Besides, the negative topics mentioned are often violence, sexuality, and drugs However, the subject of suicide still has some limitations

2.2 Theoretical basis: the impacts of media on audience's cognitive psychology based on Schema Theory:

Schema theory will be applied throughout this study to investigate the MV "There's No One At All" case A "Schema Theory" impacts the audience in theories about media's influence on the viewer's cognitive psychology About cognitive psychology, this term is referred to as the study of individual-level mental processes such as information processing, attention, language usage, memory, perception, problem solving, decision-making, and thinking (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2002) A schema is a "cognitive framework that reflects ordered information about a certain idea or type of stimulus" that has been abstracted from earlier experience (Fiske & Taylor, 1984, pg 139) Furthermore, learning about these formal qualities and how to interpret them is part of the socialization of the use of a medium like television (Bickham, Wright & Houston, 2001; Calvert, 1998; Kraft, Cantor & Gottdiener, 1991; Lang, Geiger, Strickwerda, & Summer, 1993; Rice Houston, Wright, 1986; Wilson, 1991) As in the content of Schema theory, it is stated that the audience would tend to learn the knowledge they have and emulate the behavior after being exposed to the media, which might be similar to the case of Son Tung's MV In the MV <There's No One At All=, a myriad of the audiences are concerned that the visuals in the MV may drive viewers to commit suicide if they find themselves in the same circumstances as the character in the MV Therefore, the Schema theory will be the scientific framework utilized to investigate the case of Son Tung in particular and the influence of music videos on the cognitive psychology of the audience in general since it is compatible with the analytical aims of this study 2.3 The influence of Music and Music Videos on adolescence:

In the article "Impact of Music, Music Lyrics, and Music Videos on Children and Youth" by Darby Southgate, V.J.Roscigno, a study on how popular music, which is currently mostly sold as records and is created with the goal of being widely distributed and purchased (Merriam W, 2022) , had investigated its effects on schooling, social relationships, mood and affect, and especially behavior revealed

that music videos had downsides for children ( Pediatrics, 2009) However, this article, like most academic research on music, focuses primarily on the influence of song lyrics on young children Furthermore, according to the article "Listening to Music and Watching Music Videos by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry" children and adolescents often use music to explore their identity and discover how they fit in They often imitate what musical role models do and say - trying on new roles as their identity develops Music also allows youth to express and explore their feelings and emotions Besides, music is commonly enjoyable for children and teenagers However, some studies have shown that the words and imagery in music may substantially influence how youngsters think, feel, and behave (2017)

3 Theoretical framework for analysis The MV: 3.1 Schema (Script) Theory:

One source of schemas and scripts is media (Luke, 1987) The term "script" refers to a schema concerning an action For example, individuals may construct a mental script for dealing with a particular incident after watching a T.V drama about a woman who discovers she has breast cancer Viewers may learn specific behaviors such as breast self-examination, notifying her partner about her disease, researching various medicines, and dealing with a mastectomy and chemotherapy regarding her self-image and sexuality That abstract script is inferred and gradually becomes a part of our permanent memory through exposure to samples of actions following a specific script (Ahn, Brewer, & Mooney, 1992 ) Besides, the potential consequences of learning script from media become especially clear when we consider a situation for which readers or viewers have little prior knowledge or script from their own life experience (Fred.S, Richard J.H,2018) For example, assume a toddler learns how to cope with muggers through watching T.V adventure heroes deceive and overcome the thief If that youngster tried that script on a real mugger by making the motions shown on T.V, the results might be terrible since it is only a science fiction film For instance, when confronted with a terrible villain, the superhero will

commonly morph and solve the situation If those toddlers repeat the acts outlined above, instead of seeking assistance from others, they will be forced to confront the evil individual on their own, which may result in injury A T.V movie on child abuse could be considered another example In the narrative, a preteen is sexually abused by her uncle and is distressed enough to seek help from a school counselor This revelation puts in motion a chain of circumstances that will bring this occurrence to light, but inexorably Because child abuse has remained taboo for a long time, many viewers, including present and previous victims, may have had no mental script to deal with it (Richard J.H, Fred W.S,2013, pg 66) In this way, if done gently but honestly, such a film might encourage victims to come forward and seek support It might include information on how to anticipate feelings about that event and where to get support It could also offer a scenario for the effects of such a revelation

In terms of MV <There's No One At All=, with the message conveyed in the music video, viewers may form an amorphous narrative about depression and suicide These people will be able to imitate the MV's actions related to the doctrine mentioned above

3.2 An ANALYSIS of the case study from psychology perspective:

The Schema Theory will be the theoretical framework applied to analyze the case study of MV <There’s No One At All= Besides, this paper also gave other external factors which could contribute to the sanctioning decision which will be presented in the 3.2.2

3.2.1 Analyze the effects of Sơn Tùng’s MV on the audience in terms of psychology based on Schema (Script) Theory:

3.2.1.1 Effects of the music video on the adolescence:

Representing music through video cuts has fundamentally impacted how individual tunes are created and advanced (Mariselda, 2001) The music video is one of the most influential media forms that attract the youth and affect their beliefs over periods Unlike traditional recorded music, music videos can also tell a story and

make the songs' meanings easier to understand (Marjorie H , Miriam B , 1996) As music videos portray messages, they use finely textured pictures and music to provoke, sell, advertise, and tell tales This kind of media is a thrilling, dramatic form of art that is a fantastic source of learning in its own right as well as a fascinating link to more traditional creative forms (Pamela, 2007) Therefore, analysis of music video content is crucial since research has shown that exposure to violence, sexual messaging, sexual stereotypes, and the use of drugs and alcohol in music videos can create major changes in the actions and attitudes of young viewers ( Hogan & Bar-on, 2009)

3.2.1.2 Son Tung MTP effect on the audience, especially the young: Son Tung is a well-known music artist in Vietnam His Youtube Channel has more than 9 million subscribers, making him the first Vietnamese music singer to reach this milestone His songs on this platform received huge figures, about 50 to 250 million views per song Besides that, his followers on other social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram are exceptionally high compared with other artists, with 13,2 million and 6,2 million, respectively Moreover, most of his fans are teenagers, with Son Tung MTP’s follower proportion of 10% from 13-17 and 85% from 18–24 years old (Le, 2022) With that considerable influence, this will become a significant issue if his products impart a negative message Idols frequently hold a significant position in the audience's hearts; in particular, the more well-known a person is, the more of an invisible impact they can have (Dinh, 2020) Through his music videos, Son Tung M-TP is considered to have significantly impacted today's generation's culture and way of life (Linh, 2022) Therefore, if his music goods contain offensive material for viewers, the results could be disastrous for a sizable audience, particularly young people

As for the MV "There’s No One At All" of the Son Tung M-TP, this MV contains the lyrics entirely in English, which may cause many Vietnamese listeners not to comprehend or be concerned about its meaning Previous Son Tung songs have been rated as "Million views yet confusing lyrics" (Phan, 2019) because they are

difficult to comprehend or have a sophisticated word According to <Người đưa tin= journal, similar to Son Tung's past contributions, such as the "Chạy ngay đi" MV, while being evaluated as challenging to understand and weak in clarity, it still receives views every second It can be observed that, despite not understanding the lyrics, the public enthusiastically accepts and supports these MVs, partially because of Son Tung's impact and possibly because the music items are exceptionally well invested with catchy melodies and high-quality images from his music video The same applies to the MV "There’s No One At All" which earned many views even though the audience did not comprehend the words

Furthermore, the content and imagery portrayed in the MV may affect the viewers' mentality, not the song lyrics The MV is prohibited from being broadcast on the YouTube platform, but it is still available on online music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music It may be concluded from the preceding that the MV "There's No One At All" was deleted and sanctioned at the request of the Department of Broadcasting and Electronic Information

The potential problems with the content in the MV are said to be: "The image in the MV is deadlocked, not suitable for young people The way to solve the problem of the character is too negative", according to Dr Dam Quang Minh (2022) Besides, images of violence, depression, and suicide from MV "There's No One At All"might produce significant changes in the behaviors and attitudes of young viewers, according to the argument of Marjorie, Mariam, 1996 MV "There's No One At All" is about a boy with a miserable childhood He was raised in an orphanage He became a rogue, rioter, and trouble-maker due to not getting love and education from a proper family At the end of the music video, he chose to end his life after many incidents The perception and impact of music-video messaging on children and teenagers, as with popular music, are connected to the viewer's age, developmental and emotional stage, and degree of exposure Moreover, music videos' visual images and narratives have more potential to form attitudes, values,

or perceptions of social reality than music alone because they add additional information and rely less on imagination (Douglas, 2003)

According to the Schema theory, by exposing oneself to examples of actions that follow a specific script, an abstract script is inferred and forms a part of our permanent memory (Ahn, Brewer, & Mooney, 1992).Using Schema theory to study the case study of "There's No One At All" it is clear that the content is built on a scenario with a distinct tale centered on the main character The plot is about a guy who is emotionally deprived and feels alone, deciding to terminate his life as a way out of the current impasse It can be observed that setting a precise screenplay can help viewers remember the tale of the main character in this MV after seeing it for a long time As a result, if individuals see the MV and find themselves in the same circumstance as the character in the MV, they are more likely to remember and learn from the action in the MV

In addition, Schema theory also implies that the possible effects of acquiring scripts from media become especially evident when examining a circumstance in which readers or viewers have minimal prior information or scripts from their own life experiences When applied to the example of Son Tung, this doctrine may be interpreted as follows According to the above data (mentioned in paragraph 1 in 3.2.1.2), Son Tung's audience is still mostly in their adolescent years, which is between the ages of 18 and 25 - a phase in life when numerous changes occur, from physical to psychological Furthermore, that audience does not include all persons with extensive knowledge and practical experience in confronting and resolving severe life challenges Mentioning the MV, although the scene of the male protagonist jumping from the skyscraper is only a metaphor that leads to an open ending for the MV, it can be observed from the perspective of the audience mentioned above that those viewers are more likely to absorb and emulate what they have learned from the MV As a result, suicide is viewed as an efficient approach to break the current impasse and assist the individual in overcoming the dire difficulties he is experiencing, just as the character in the MV did Besides,

"With celebrities, when explicitly playing bad characters, youngsters might emulate and learn from them There have been several similar incidents so far" (Bui, 2022) Consequently, the acts of the character in the MV "There's No One At All" will most likely become a lousy behavior pattern for young people when they are in difficult situations, their body is fatigued They feel that no one understands them " This study found that the content of Son Tung's music video has an influence on children's cognitive psychology after utilizing the Schema theory to assess the content of Son Tung's MV By conveying a well-thought-out tale through the MV, viewers, particularly teens, are more inclined to adopt the messages they perceive and follow those behaviors Based on the information gathered and processed in this study, it is possible to conclude that there is a correlation between the content of music videos and the cognitive psychology of mass audiences

3.2.2: Other external factors:

Aside from applying Schema theory to examine the influence of MV content on the audience's psychology, it is also required to consider a number of objective aspects that profoundly affect the audience's psychology, such as:

3.2.2.1 Music video release time: Since the COVID-19 pandemic first appeared two to three years ago, studies on how it has affected human health and life are still relatively recent and have certain limitations Vietnam is one of the countries most affected by the pandemic and during the period of implementing social distancing and measures to prevent the spread of the disease, people's psyche, particularly that of children and teenagers, is also somewhat impacted There has not been any research or statistics on the impact of COVID-19 on Vietnamese children's psychology, though, until this point However, studies abroad have revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic psychologically impacts people (Asmundson & Taylor, 2020; Li et al., 2020) The COVID-19 pandemic could lead to increased mental disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depressive and Anxiety Disorders, and grieving-related symptoms in adolescents and children (2022) The two statements above demonstrate how COVID-19 impacts adolescents' physical

and emotional health "Given that several Vietnamese youths are struggling with mental health, Son Tung's publication of a music video with negative content targeting young people who show suicidal thoughts, lifestyles, and behaviors has caused enormous harm That picture becomes even more harmful after two years of the pandemic", claimed Le Quang Tu Do, deputy head of the Department of Communication and Information Additionally, many student suicide instances were reported across the nation before the debut of Son Tung's music video, one of which was the unfortunate death of a male student in the 10th grade at Amsterdam High School in Hanoi When the video documenting the male student's suicide was widely shared on social networking sites, this incident haunted Vietnamese internet users According to studies, disseminating information about suicide and detailed photos of the suicide process can lead to many copycat suicides (Dinh, 2022) The person intending to commit suicide will imitate the story or description of the original suicide on television or other media Sometimes, suicides spread through the community, the educational system, or in waves after high-profile suicides Son Tung M-TP made a grave error by releasing an MV at such a critical time that contained derogatory stuff about himself

3.2.2.2 Not suitable for Vietnamese culture:

The MV "There's No One At All" was prohibited from being posted on YouTube because it breached Clause 4, Article 3 of Decree 144 on performance art activities This clause states that the use of costumes, words, sounds, images, movements, means of expression, and forms of expression that are contrary to the good customs and traditions of the ethnicity, as well as harm ethics, public health, and psychosocial well-being, are prohibited in performing arts activities (Báo Tuổi Trẻ, 2022) Another reason for the decision to punish this MV is that the content of the MV is contradictory to Vietnamese social and cultural reality This sanctioning decision could be explained by one more reason: the MV content was inappropriate for social practice and Vietnamese culture Vietnam has endured many rough times