Popular Culture

     This semester we learned a lot about "popular culture." So what is it? That's a good question. My best answer to you would be that it consists of the things that affect/reflect on the state of the society as a whole. "Popular culture" affects/reflects the views, morals, needs, wants, and ideals of the society. It does this mainly through the mass media. Things such as the news, television, film, porn, and advertising show the views that our society feels are important and thus influences our views on what is important.
     It is important to have some understanding of "popular culture" in order to find the meaning in many of the things happening in our society today. With recent advances in technology we are quickly approaching a sensory overload and it is more important than ever to be able to make sense of the countless messages you receive from the media in a day. We are under constant assault from advertisements and media on our phones, the internet, television, and from print sources. The study of popular culture helps you to understand a little about the meanings and messages behind the things you see and experience. While you may still just "go with the flow" most of the time and subconsciously absorb everything, it's important to understand that some things are deeper than face value in order to analyze them and make responsible decisions in your life instead of just doing what everyone else does.
     A larger understanding of "popular culture" will then allow you to examine the things that are prevalent in our society to understand the views and morals of the society as a whole. This is important if you want to understand where we are, where we've been, and where we're heading. It's very possible that with the increases in crudity, desensitization to violence, and encroachment of new technologies in our lives, you may not like where we're going. You first have to understand those things if you want to make and changes. That's why the study of "popular culture" is important. Otherwise, you may as well be part of the herd.