Reflection Paper on Popular culture
Popular culture is all around us whether or not we are aware of it. It shapes our opinions and enlightens us about the transformations happening around us. I interact with popular culture daily through what I listen to on the radio, read in the newspaper, and watch on the television. I mostly use the internet to interact with popular culture. In today’s modern world, the internet is responsible for shaping opinions. According to Pew Research (2008), unlike the 19th century, newspapers, television broadcasts, and even scientific discoveries are today accessible through the internet. My reaction to popular culture depends on whether or not I am interested in the pop culture artifact. For instance, I don’t find modern fashion as compelling as contemporary music. I, therefore, choose to interact with the later. I react to pop culture I am drawn to by sharing artifacts with family and friends and giving my feedback to the owners. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Through studying popular culture, I have come to understand that culture changes over time. The perceptions of popular culture in the 1920s, for example, differ from those in the 2000s. While the 1920 popular culture was more inclined towards influencing people to behave correctly, the modern-day pop culture influences people to boldly stand up for what they believe (Bell & Blanchflower, 2011). This course has also opened my eyes to the different aspects of popular culture that I never thought existed. Earlier on, I had thought popular culture was all about fashion and music. Now I understand that news and art are expressions of popular culture.
I have previously consumed popular culture selectively. Some materials did not make as much sense to me as they do today. I intend to increase my consumption of popular culture from music and movies to art, worthy movements, and any other aspects that I previously termed boring. I understand more than ever that the expression of culture doesn’t have to be loud to make sense.
I tend to believe some aspects of popular culture have a morally eroding effect on today’s societies. While I appreciate the freedom of expression brought by popular culture, there should be a limit to what is permissible. We cannot afford to turn popular culture into a one fits all phenomenon. For instance, there needs to be popular culture meant for children and adolescents, and it should differ from what adults consume.
As a creator of popular culture, I can affect change through innovations that target common issues. For example, I can tackle the issue of environmental conservation by creating YouTube videos or newsletters that address the topic.
As a consumer, I can affect social change by supporting popular culture that resonates with the needs of the world today. For instance, I can support the movements of feminism and women empowerment because they address gender marginalization. I can do this by sharing activism ideologies through social media.
I believe that pop culture needs some criticism when it embraces meaningless content. As a consumer, I need to speak out against pop culture that promotes violence, self-harm, and other misdemeanors amongst young people. Just like everything else, pop culture has its pros and cons. The pros should be supported and encouraged, and the cons should be received with some criticism.
References
Bell, D. N., & Blanchflower, D. G. (2011). Young people and the Great Recession. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 27(2), 241-267.
Pew Research Center. (2008 Dec, 23). Internet overtakes newspapers as news outlet. Retrieved from https://www.people-press.org/2008/12/23/internet-overtakes-newspapers-as-news-outlet/