Essay about popular culture defines generations

Submitted By mackenziehammett
Words: 1593
Pages: 7
Open Document
Mackenzie Hammett
APLAC P.2
Mrs. Burnett
15 January 2015
Living Among Constant Change Popular culture was originally designed to amuse and entertain the public, but mutated into an obsession with media sensations. After the Industrial Revolution many Americans had more free time on their hands with all of this new technology. Making their lives easier such as washing machines, cars, microwaves, radios, and many more. Now that Americans had more leisurely time on their hands; people had time to read, see and be exposed to more media. The first forms of social media were newspapers, radio, and television. This new demand for media allowed a new form of popular culture to arise. This the first time in history where we start to see “trend”. People, even then, sought after “the next big thing”. This was the start of the forever, ongoing, changing social atmosphere (Curtis). Although popular culture actually defines generations, it promotes social change.
The public is consumed by pop culture, influencing our ways of life, concerning what we wear, what we do, and activities we participate in. When an individual looks around a room, what does he or she see? Multiple books? Signs? What do all these things have in common? They are all unconsciously promoting culture. Forty percent of humans with cell phones use a social network site (“Social Networking”). Thus influencing even more viewers to be governed by popular “trends” and or “pop culture”. Whether through the reading of a book, purchasing of a shirt, or the questioning of purchasing the newest hair product. Human perspective is constantly redefined by outside forces. Reading them, thinking that you might try that new product is a prime example of how popular culture promotes change. Change that is small but has a massive effect. Social change has an avalanche effect on generations. The more people that get involved with the “trends” define the overall main ideas and icons of generations, and how do we get those without social change! Pop culture revolves around the clothes, brands, celebrities, and events that influence your personality choices. The average young adult follows a trend, and it morphs so does the teenager. This is social change through pop culture at its simplest level. Sixty eight percent of teens find the latest trends through ads. Thirty three percent of teens find the latest trends through celebrities (“Statistic Brain” ). Television, the internet and many more are forms of media that are available to the average teen at the tips of their fingers. Thus causing more and more exposure to forms of pop culture. Pop culture is one of the many reasons that children go through so many teens “stages”. They change their style as they see, hear, and experience the next biggest thing. They follow these icons that they look up too and then want to do and have many of the same things, just like another other child does. They change as the media itself changes. This is just one of the many ways that pop culture is directly related to social change. This so called “Social Change” isn’t a bad epidemic that is happening around the world. Most of the effects on teens through social media, promote social change in a good light. When teenagers or adults get to choose what they follow “trend-wise” they feel more confident in themselves. One in five teens say social media makes them feel more confident. (Wallace) Twenty eight percent of teens said it makes them feel more outgoing. (Wallace) Twenty nine percent said it makes them feel less shy. These changes affect whole generations. They make them more known, and leave a lasting effect in society. Social media is the newest, never resting, always changing new popular culture. Social media helps teens and adults to make their voices and opinions heard. This lets anyone express how they feel anyway they like. Not just through the arts anymore. There are so many positive effects from the use of social media to promote vigorous
Show More

Related Documents: Essay about popular culture defines generations

Research Paper On Pop Culture

American Popular Culture Paper Introduction Culture is defined as the sum of attitudes, customs and beliefs that distinguishes one group of people from another. Cultural value or culture is transmitted through language, material objects, rituals, institutions and art from generation through generation. In time culture changes to fit to the time and what we see now is something different from 100 years back for the same country. Situation and time changes culture from generation to generation. In…

Words 713 - Pages 3

Ruining Our Self Identity

Our self identities, define who we are as individuals and defines every other individual on planet earth in their own unique way. It encompasses our totality of knowledge and understanding through our life experiences as we develop our personalities, capabilities, aptitudes, intellect, interests, relationships, and physical characteristics. Our self concept is established from the beliefs that an individual holds about themselves and the response of others. It is influenced by the interactions that…

Words 609 - Pages 3

Generalizations: Race and Social Media Essay

In Kevin Nguyen’s Language, Gender, and Culture Speech, he claims that Asian stereotypes are not accurate. He advances his argument by using his personal observations and examples. Nguyen’s purpose is to debunk the myths of Asian culture. Nguyen intends to target the younger generation who often believes these stereotypes. The significance of his work is to educate others about the misconceptions of Asian people. an everything said these days be believed? Today’s social media is highly affected by…

Words 618 - Pages 3

Analysis Of Passage In The Nacirema Culture

my Hispanic community from an etic perspective. Crapo (2013) defines etic, “An out¬sider’s or observer’s allegedly “objective” account—creates a model of a culture by using cross-culturally valid categories, which anthropologists have found to be generally useful for describing all cultures” (pg. 5). In the article Body Ritual among the Nacirema, Miner (1956) represents a viewpoint using an etic perspective in the “Nacirema” culture. The article's purpose is to allow the reader to realize the…

Words 936 - Pages 4

Art Paper 101

Morgan Cox Professor Compton Art 101 30 August 2013 Art in Different Cultures The Oxford Dictionary defines art as subjects primarily concerned with the processes and products of human creativity and social life, such as languages, literature, and history. Art is very important to all cultures and has developed over time. People have used art for centuries to express themselves in many different ways whether it is through paintings, drawing, music, dancing or clothing. Southern France, Asmar,…

Words 499 - Pages 2

Hip Hop Shaped American Culture

The Hip Hop culture emerged in the 1970s and served as a way for individuals to flee their misfortunes. With the influence of American culture, politics, and economics from the 1960s to the 1990s, Hip Hop was shaped into a tool for social commentary instead of entertainment. Thus, the complicated truths in the world began to unfold through Hip Hop music. Today, Hip Hop is an artistic and cultural movement that has the power to influence American culture, politics, and economics. This essay will examine…

Words 971 - Pages 4

Summary Essay Amusing Ourselves to Death

” In this chapter Postman mentions the development of the television and how it has impacted our generation. By the 21st century, it was not uncommon for every household to own a television. With this development Postman argues “our politics, religion, news, athletics, education and commerce have been transformed into congenial adjuncts of show business, largely without protest or even much popular notice. The result is that we are the people on the verge of amusing ourselves to death.” (p. 3-4)…

Words 623 - Pages 3

Essay Pop Culture

Mediated Culture | 1900s print and electronic media | High Culture | Classical music, fine arts, literature, philosophy, cuisine | Intertextuality | The way texts refer to other texts | Anthropological | Customs of a social group | Text/ Artifact | Anything considered to be a subject for analysis | Folk culture/ Mass Culture | Music, dance, storytelling, crafts, clothing, carnival | Pop culture | Human-made items, consumed and accepted by large numbers of people in society. Popular= of the…

Words 3029 - Pages 13

What Makes An American Culture

type of a culture. These cultures differ from place to place, the culture in America is different from the culture half way around the world in the country of Syria. Business dictionary defines culture as “Broadly, social heritage of a group (organized community or society). It is a pattern of responses discovered, developed, or invented during the group's history of handling problems which arise from interactions among its members, and between them and their environment.” Culture is taught from…

Words 1110 - Pages 5

The Influence Of Hair In American Culture

image in society. That is why so many people are prideful of their hair. Throughout the decades in America there were many types of hairstyles they not only defined the people who wore them, but defined the era as well. Some hairstyles reflected popular media such as movie stars and singers, and other hairstyles reflected social movements and was a symbol for what people fought for. Whatever the reason, people use their hair as an extension of their personality and as such, use it to represent something…

Words 1100 - Pages 5