Tracing the shift in the social discourse on youth drug issues: A comparative big data analysis of news coverage from the 2010s and early 2020s

Objectives: This study investigates the manner in which substance abuse among the youth has been socially perceived and discussed in South Korea by comparing news media discourse across two periods: 2013–2015 and 2023–2025. Methods: Using a big data approach, news articles were collected and analyzed via Term Frequency–Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling to detect keyword salience and latent thematic structures. Results: Media discourse in the early 2010s emphasized law enforcement and reactive responses. By contrast, coverage from the early 2020s reflected a shift toward diversified drug distribution via digital platforms, focusing on issues such as increasing misuse of medical drugs and rising socio-economic vulnerability among youth. Policy discourse has also evolved, moving from punitive control to integrated approaches involving prevention, treatment, and education. Conclusion: The findings reveal a structural transformation in the framing of youth drug issues, highlighting the need for multi-agency collaboration. A balanced response strategy combining enforcement with early intervention and recovery support is essential. This study offers empirical insights to inform the development of evidence-based and prevention-oriented drug policy.