Table of Contents
Introduction: What is popular cultural?
Pop Culture Today’s Effects on Society
In conclusion
Introduction: What is popular cultural?
What is popular cultural? What is popular culture? Pop culture encompasses many genres including music, movies, literature and celebrities. These elements are accessible to all, regardless of gender and age. They influence thoughts, attitudes, behaviours, tastes, and other aspects of people’s lives. Media plays a major role in popular culture today, with advertisements (Fiske (2010) Nearly everyone is aware of media and is interested in learning about celebrity lives.
Popular culture and media influence social connections and divides. This can be explained by looking at how communication channels impact people’s thoughts and perceptions. The construction of identity is one of the most important aspects of contemporary society’s influence on mass media and popular culture. This often impacts the individual’s interests and influences the dynamic nature social norms. This fosters social integration as well as enables interaction between people from different backgrounds. In addition to this, popular culture signifies unification and connects those of the same status, whilst simultaneously creating ‘outsiders’ and disconnecting those who are perceived as not belonging to a particular culture or community.Consequently, the behaviours and trends that the celebrities own influence the way the society acts or perceives itself. Many people, especially teenagers and women, look up to celebrities and strive to be like them (McRobbie 2004). Beyonce is an example of a young woman who looks up to the world’s most powerful and influential female entertainer. Beyonce is viewed as the cultural symbol of the 21st century’s feminism. This paper will discuss the impact of pop culture on society today. The body will be highlighted by the impact pop culture has on society. This is more evident for teenage girls and women. It will discuss both the positive effects and the negative ones. The paper’s conclusion will summarize the ideas discussed throughout the paper. The Society Today: Pop Culture’s Impact on Society TodayPop culture has a positive and a negative impact on society today. First, pop music helps teenage girls self-define themselves. As it affects how teens see themselves, this definition is important in their maturation. Teens have to make their own choices. But, they also need to consider the influence of pop culture elements such as ads on TV, movies, and advertisements on social networks. While research on pop culture influences teens’ self-definition are not consistent, Thompson, 2007. Some teenagers aren’t gangsters, but they do listen to gangsterrap music. Many people learn from music and are therefore able to positively self-define themselves. Teenage girls have many examples of pop culture to help them develop their self-definition. They can see themselves and imitate different celebrity traits, as well as distinguish between right and wrong in pop culture. As a teenager, I found pop culture to be a great way to connect with others who share my culture. Comic-con, for people from diverse backgrounds, hosts events like Comic-con. These events can help them build great relationships. Pop culture is a unifying agent for youth all over the globe (Burke 2017, 2017). Comic-con allows me to meet new people and discover new topics for discussion on social media. Popular culture has allowed me to grow and be more informed due to the many representations it offers. Breaking Bad made me interested in Chemistry. Pop culture encourages understanding and good relations among people who live in the same social environment. Pop culture also helped women understand their role in society. McRobbie 2004, 2004. Naomi Wolf and other women have criticised the judgements made about women’s beauty. She believes that women should accept themselves as they are. She is proud of the fact that Beyonce, Rihanna and other women of color have received media attention (Wolf (2002). Queen Latifah, a celebrity who is also a plus-size woman, has introduced clothing-line. Because of their bodies, plus-size women have been unattractive for a long time. The society has not accepted them fully. Pop culture has helped to dispel some of these beliefs and women are now in a better position in society. Pop culture has many negative effects on society. Teenage girls idolize members of pop bands. Janis Jonplin was always a favorite of mine. I love her songs even though she’s gone. Joplin, an American singer and songwriter, was very talented in her singing. But, I learned that she was a drug addict. These are the consequences of my actions. Teens can choose to act or look like Joplin. This may mean using drugs or any other unacceptable means. Because a person can only imitate Joplin when they are high or on drugs, and may not be able express themselves while sober. As a result, society is less able to build it because many young people might use drugs and have a rash of bad behavior. A negative impact on society has also been caused by how popular culture influences women’s perceptions of their bodies. Women of all ages suffer from poor body image. This is due to what they see in magazines, social media and television. Because these advertisements are so appealing, women love to continue watching them. McRobbie & Mcrobbie 2003. The commercials feature women mostly, but not all women, who are very attractive because they have used certain products that influence others to purchase the same products. The majority of these products advertised aren’t safe and are intended to help with weight loss. Many women want to be like the models in the advertisements and so they consume these products. Girls may look up to Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan as role models, while others are in rehab. Because people judge themselves based on what others do, it is difficult to be true to yourself in pop culture. Advertisers need not confuse people by claiming that digital manipulation is better than real beauty. Pop culture has also influenced sexuality and changed the norm of dress to promote it. In other words, celebrities are seen provocatively dressed in advertisements, fashion magazines, and websites (McRobbie 2004, 2004). These celebrities are a model for many teenage girls and adults. They believe that this is the correct way to dress. Naomi Wolf, 2002, p. 3, writes that Calvin Klein’s infamous ad campaigns “eroticized sixteen-year-olds in my teens, then fourteen-years-old models by the early nineties, then twelve year-old in late nineties.” This is a clear example of how popular culture has influenced girls and women to emulate others when it comes to dressing. Pop culture has also contributed towards the objectifications of women. Today, sex is a commodity. Many men are attracted to women based on their sexual engagement and seductiveness. These men think of sex when they see an ad featuring a gorgeous and sexy woman (Burke 2017). Some women have made drastic changes in their appearances and body image to try to get men’s notice. Popular culture encourages violence in society. Research shows that teenage girls listen to pop music, including songs about violence, which can lead them to become aggressive (Thompson (2007). I’ve personally experienced violence between players in video games. My animus towards my friends grew over time and I was forced to quit playing with them. Even though not everyone who listens and plays violent games or videogames can become violent, it’s clear that teenagers can suffer from the negative effects of pop culture. Parents should keep an eye on their teens. Conclusion: Popular culture can be described as the combination of beliefs, attitudes, ideas, and other aspects that make up a particular culture. Pop culture is most popularized by media. The media is a major influence on the lives of modern people. They are often inspired by celebrities and want to be like them. Pop music is most influential on teenagers and women. Pop culture can have a positive or negative impact on society. The culture has helped girls and women ages 13 and older to learn new skills, make friends, understand other cultures, and find their place in society. Negatively, both teens and women have been influenced by the culture to emulate some undesirable behaviours, alter their views on themselves, and dress in more seductive ways. Pop culture has a lot to do with the way people think, behave, and taste.