Is Pop Culture Good for You?

Pop culture has been a concept that has always had a fickle meaning. Many will argue that it is the technology that exists in an era that defines pop culture or maybe the media that is displayed at the time. "Historically, art and culture define pop culture" (Phil Miller [TEDx Talks], 2015). However, with the addition of modern technology, the dynamic between people and the media they consume has changed. Instead of having to wait for the mailman to deliver a message or travel days at a time to talk to someone, social media allows you to talk to one another instantaneously. On top of this, you can even attend an event virtually without having to waste money on the travel. The introduction of social media has provided ease of access of sorts into socialization. If one wanted to, they could easily stay isolated at home and still experience a social life. With social media now counting as a definition of pop culture, this type of unhealthy reliance on technology and social media presents a set of problems for the generations of people to come growing into this culture.

 Prior to the introduction of social media such as Facebook and Instagram, the way that news would spread would be via newspaper, radio, television, and, of course, word of mouth. Even with these technologies used in the past, most news would be local and feel more personal in that way. However, with social media, you are able to receive news from all around the world at the touch of your fingers. While this may seem like a good thing, this only presents others with an information overload. Suddenly, you can hear about a tragedy happening not only in the country you live in, but also in another country. It can become tiresome and depressing. This is backed up by a survey conducted by OnlineTherapy.com that found that 58% of Americans claim that social media negatively impacted their mental health (6 In 10 Americans Say Social Media Negatively Affects Their Mental Health, 2022). It is hard to really hide from content on social media, especially when someone you are following may repost the content you are avoiding, so that it shows on your social media feed once again.



The parasocial relationships social media also create cause individuals to mindlessly follow trends without much thought. It is human nature to want to fit in and any sort of deviation from the norm is met by social isolation. With social media, one’s social presence is amplified, and actions are put in the forefront, which could be seen in other’s social feed. There is even more pressure to fit in and follow trends since you are on full display. To some, activism may seem like a trend. After all, moral righteousness is never a bad look, so what is the easiest way to show that you are in support of a cause? Protesting. Protesting itself has changed throughout the decades. Rather than hitting than streets with signs, all you would have to do is repost a post saying you are against the “big bad” without even knowing what the cause is about. These “weak ties seldom lead to high-risk activism,” so instead of creating change, it is like speaking into the void (Gladwell, 2010). By making causes and tragedies into trends, their actual significance becomes minimized to just another hashtag. 


Pop culture, when defined by social media, is hardly good for anyone involved. Social media has been known to lessen the public’s mental health with its info overload. It allows for one’s individuality to be erased and be subjected to becoming a trend follower. It also gets rid of true activism and reduces it to a hashtag. It leads one to wonder what the world would be like without the introduction to social media.

Works Cited

6 in 10 Americans say social media negatively affects their mental health. (2022, June 7). Online Therapy. Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://www.onlinetherapy.com/6-in-10-americans-say-social-media-negatively-affects-their-mental-health/

Gladwell, M. (2010, September 27). Small Change. The New Yorker. Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/10/04/small-change-malcolm-gladwell

Phil Miller  [TEDx Talks]. (2015, February 5). Pop culture is dead! | Phil Miller | TEDxWoking [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkDYlQhx0wY


 



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