🎧 Hypnosis, Youth, and the Power of Media: Are Young Minds More Vulnerable?

Emma Charlton
May 6
3 min read

In a world where politics, entertainment, and technology increasingly blur into one stream of influence, it’s time to ask an important question: Are young people more vulnerable to suggestion? And if so, what role do mass media, social platforms, and even music festivals play in shaping their beliefs?

The answer lies in something many people don’t talk about enough—hypnotic suggestibility and how much more powerful it is in youth.

🧠 Why Are Young People More Suggestible?

Psychological research has consistently shown that children and adolescents tend to be more susceptible to hypnosis than adults. This is largely due to the developing nature of the adolescent brain—critical thinking faculties are still forming, while the imaginative and emotional centres are highly active. These qualities make younger people more open to influence, not just in a clinical setting like hypnotherapy, but in everyday life through media, advertising, and political messaging.

A large-scale study of over 2,600 undergraduates found that suggestibility was notably higher in people under 20 and gradually decreased with age. This makes sense—young minds are still exploring who they are, forming identities, and seeking belonging. That’s a perfect storm for external ideas to be absorbed deeply and quickly, especially when presented in emotionally compelling ways.

📱 The Hypnotic Power of Social Media

Social media has transformed how young people engage with the world. While it offers unprecedented access to information, it also acts as a kind of mass suggestion tool. Algorithms curate content designed to keep users engaged, often reinforcing existing beliefs and shielding them from opposing viewpoints.

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube don’t just serve entertainment—they also deliver messages, ideologies, and opinions in a hypnotic, scrolling rhythm. Paired with a youth’s natural openness to suggestion, it’s easy to see how political or ideological messaging can slip past critical thinking and become internalised.

A 2021 study published in Information, Communication & Society found that adolescents exposed to extremist political content on social media showed increased political cynicism and emotional reactivity. In other words, they were more likely to absorb political messages without questioning them—and respond emotionally rather than rationally.

🎶 Music Festivals and Mass Influence

Live events like music festivals are often described as euphoric, immersive, and even spiritual. And it’s no surprise—music bypasses the conscious mind and goes straight to emotion. Add to that thousands of people, rhythmic music, visual stimuli, and political messages from the stage, and you’ve got a potent environment for suggestion.

This isn't just about entertainment. Many modern music festivals double as political platforms, promoting causes, identities, and ideologies. When a message is delivered in a highly emotional or symbolic setting, it can act like a hypnotic trigger—especially for young people.

Think of it like this: a young person who is relaxed, emotionally open, and surrounded by peers in a euphoric state is much more likely to internalise a message than when reading it in a book or hearing it in a classroom.

🌱 So What Can Be Done?

The answer isn’t to demonise media or culture—but to teach young people to question what they consume. Media literacy, emotional awareness, and basic understanding of how suggestion works are essential tools. When youth understand that their imaginations are powerful—and their minds influenceable—they’re more equipped to choose their beliefs consciously, rather than absorb them unconsciously.

It’s not about shielding them from the world. It’s about empowering them within it.

📚 Sources:

Morgan, A. H., & Hilgard, E. R. (1978). The Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scales: Normative data for 2,660 college students. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. PubMed
National Hypnotherapy Society. (n.d.). Hypnotherapy with Children and Young People. National Hypnotherapy Society
Livingstone, S., & Byrne, J. (2021). Youth and susceptibility to disinformation. Digital International Strategy Association (DISA). DISA
Van Aelst, P. et al. (2021). Adolescents’ exposure to extremist political content and effects on political cynicism. Information, Communication & Society. Taylor & Francis Online