Blog Post #3: I-Dosing Video

       I spent about 2 minutes on Chat Roulette until I was officially freaked out by the “partners” I was set up with, resulting in me to close the window immediately. Instead of sharing the interactive experience on this site with another person via webcam, I decided to check out an I-dosing video and gain a more personal experience for myself. Never having tried an I-dosing video before, I was not quite sure what to expect. From what I have gathered prior to the experience, I understood that I-dosing videos involved a “trippy”-like aesthetic with some sonic noise aspect in an attempt to get its viewers high. So, I typed into YouTube examples of I-dosing videos and stumbled upon one called “Hand of God.” This particular video involved a cartoon animal that looked like a cat running in one direction for the entire 4 minutes. The music in the background sounded to me like the cat was repetitively saying “Meow” in a fast, high-pitch sound. Unfortunately, I did not have the patience to watch the full video and gain the authentic I-dosing experience due to the irritating background frequency. However, from what I did experience thus far, I realized that this video did not change my perceptions nor alter my state of mind. In fact, the video solely gave me a headache and I could not wait for it to end. 

      Perhaps this video or other I-dosing videos would impact other viewers differently. After watching this specific I-dosing video, I then researched other videos on YouTube to see how other people reacted to their I-dosing experience. Many were laying down in bed with their headphones plugged in, and seemed to be experiencing some sort of psychological changes. Maybe they truly felt as if they were on some form of drugs, but I do not believe a video can actually give off the same type of affect. Moreover, because I do not believe I-dosing videos actually work at all, I therefore think that I-dosing videos are more potentially dangerous. For example if an impressionable teenager came across an I-dosing video and did not feel any of its supposed effects, they may be more inclined to try real drugs out of curiosity. The sounds used during I-dosing videos may act as a gateway drug because they can potentially influence an adolescent with low inhibitions to try a drug such as marijuana to gain an authentic high.