Pop Culture

Although "Popular Culture" is such a normalized and widespread term, it is generally not often referred to or used in the vernacular of every day life. The way we tend to think about this phenomenon changes throughout the years based on what state the world is in. In most cases, when referencing pop culture, many automatically insert themselves into a mediastruck world filled with celebrities, musical artists, film series often with cult followings, so on and so forth. It is true that these things all contribute to what society usually means when discussing the term, however these are not the only contributors. Breaking down the term, popular culture is powered by it's own traction. Something doesn't have to just be a film or television series, a new album or even a celebrity charity drive. It can be made up of millions of things, simply starting with social media. You may not often assume social media is classified under popular culture, as it is merely a social platform, but this is the one thing that makes it such a huge contributor. Social media allows us to not only communicate directly with people all over the world, but this has recently become a highly significant news source. There are plenty of times when I personally am scrolling through my Twitter feed and finding out important information going on that hasn't even been broadcasted on the news. These news stations are also clearly taking advantage of the social media benefits, as it has now become easier for them to find stories to deliver. Social media provides so much opportunity for sharing, bonding, seeking help, and much more, which is why it is an incredibly important aspect of popular culture, along with the societal view so widely seen today.