Is Pop Culture Good for You?

                                                                       Carol McLean

New Jersey City University

Contemporary Literacies

Michelle Rosen

June 28, 2024

Is Pop Culture Good for You?

"With great power comes great responsibility." — Spider-Man (from Marvel Comics) This is a reminder inside popular culture. Whether shown as superheroes or individuals in the entertainment industry, we are encouraged to use our power carefully, comprehending the significant repercussions of our choices. As a result, it motivates us to maintain honesty and selflessness, demonstrating our ability to influence others' lives favorably via careful and accountable actions. Pop culture presents significant opportunities for professional development and social interaction but also risks perpetuating unfavorable stereotypes, intellectual stagnation, and ineffective consumption. Consequently, it is essential to critically interact with it and weigh its advantages against its disadvantages to minimize its disadvantages.

In the article titled “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Treated,” Malcolm Gladwell states, “ There was a pause, and McCain said, in a way that works only with people who talk late into the night with one another, ‘Are you guys chicken or not?’” (Gladwell 319), in a way that only works with people who are comrades. Ezelle Blair got up to ask for coffee because his roommates were beside him. This differs from the kind of relationship you find on social media. The networks that make up social media are based on weak ties. Creating good relationships like this requires endless conversations and physical interaction. Pop culture is not suitable for building this type of close relationship. 

Twitter lets you follow strangers, and they may follow you, forming networks based on shared interests rather than personal ties. However, Facebook makes communicating with old friends, distant relatives, and acquaintances easier. Facebook allows you to have thousands of friends, which is impossible in real life. Weak relationships may be helpful‌. Sociologist Mark Granovetter says weak relationships may be necessary because they allow access to fresh knowledge, opportunities, and resources that a smaller, more tightly-knit network of strong ties cannot. Thus, although social media weakens links, it may strengthen one's social and professional network.

Maintaining contacts and sharing skills and information with a worldwide audience on social media strengthens social and professional networks. It also provides access to job ads, cooperation opportunities, and networking events, thereby improving employment prospects. Joining clubs and communities allows for meeting like-minded individuals and gaining sector-specific insights. Social media facilitates establishing a personal brand through sharing quality content and receiving feedback and guidance from peers and mentors. Additionally, its real-time communication features enhance its value as a network-building tool.

An article titled “Strengthen Your Professional Presence on Social Media.” 

Michelle Gibbings states, “On the other hand, while social media has its flaws, there are clever ways to boost our careers. When used strategically, it can help us find jobs, gain knowledge from a diverse range of people, strengthen our networks, and even make our work visible to the masses” (Gibbings, social media). Pop culture is utilized in daily life, shaping everyday experiences. Including music listened to, movies and television shows watched, fashion followed, and sports enjoyed. Over the years, pop culture has evolved significantly, with notable moments such as the rise of jazz in the 1920s, followed by rock 'n' roll and the counterculture movement in the 1950s and 1960s. Furthermore, the explosion of pop music and the internet in the 1980s and 1990s marked another significant phase, leading to the current era dominated by social media and streaming services. Originating from various media platforms and different parts of the world, significant hubs like Los Angeles, New York, London, Tokyo, and Seoul play a pivotal role in its creation. Moreover, ‌the internet and social media have transformed pop culture into a global phenomenon, rapidly spreading trends across countries and regions. Therefore, pop culture is more than just entertainment—it is a way to express identity, connect with others, and participate in a larger community, reflecting and shaping societal values and norms while driving significant economic activity. 

According to the article titled “Watching TV Makes You Smarter” by Steven Johnson, “with many shows that we associate with “quality” entertainment—The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Murphy Brown, Frasier—the intelligence arrives fully formed in the words and actions of the characters on-screen. They say witty things to one another and avoid lapsing into tired sitcom cliches, and we smile along in our living rooms, enjoying the company of these smart people. However, assuming we are bright enough to understand the sentences they are saying, there is no intellectual labor involved in enjoying the show as a viewer” (Johnson 280). This quote addresses pop culture's adverse effects, such as passive consumption and intellectual stagnation. Pop culture, particularly television, may promote passivity by providing easy-to-digest material. This encourages media consumption without intellectual exertion, which may impair critical thinking and complicate information processing. Johnson's discovery is important since it shows contemporary television's cognitive capacity and cautions against passive pop culture consumption. It emphasizes choosing media that challenges and develops the mind rather than just entertaining. This attitude promotes thoughtful media consumption, balancing pleasure and intellectual involvement.

“On January 24, the Fox network showed an episode of its hit drama 24, the real-time thriller known for its cliffhanger tension and often-gruesome violence. Over the preceding weeks, several public controversies had erupted around 24, mostly focused on its portrait of Muslim terrorists and its penchant for torture scenes” (Johnson, 277-288). This quote is also significant in explaining how pop culture can be bad for you as the show "24" is a pop cultural icon for its dramatic real-time narrative and high-stakes drama. Due to its prominence, its information reaches a large audience and influences public attitudes and social standards. Its Muslim terrorist representation disputes are crucial. Such depictions may reinforce negative prejudices and discriminate against Muslims. Popular shows that regularly demonize a group might perpetuate biases and marginalize that group in real life. Additionally, the show's numerous torture scenes create moral issues. When depicted as successful or justifiable, torture may desensitize viewers to its brutality and mislead them into believing it is essential or effective for information gathering. This is concerning because many viewers may not critically evaluate these depictions and accept them as realistic or normal conduct. Pop culture may affect popular comprehension of complicated subjects like terrorism and human rights, making violence and immoral actions more acceptable.

The widespread influence of popular culture, as shown by famous personalities such as Spider-Man, highlights the dualistic nature of its effect on society. Although it provides enough chances for professional networking and socializing, it also poses the dangers of reinforcing stereotypes, encouraging passive consumption, and promoting intellectual stagnation. As consumers of popular culture, we must be discerning and thoughtful in engaging with and understanding media. By using this approach, we may use its favorable aspects while reducing possible disadvantages, thereby contributing to a well-informed, diverse, and morally aware cultural environment. Pop culture, as it has progressed from being a kind of entertainment to being a worldwide phenomenon, both mirrors and influences society's values. Therefore, we must approach its intricacies of careful thinking and ethical judgment.

Works Cited

Gibbings, Michelle. “Strengthen Your Professional Presence on Social Media.” Harvard Business Review, 9 Aug. 2022, hbr.org/2022/08/strengthen-your-professional-presence-on-social-media.  

Gladwell, Malcolm. “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted?” The New Yorker, 2010. Print.

Johnson, Steven. Watching TV Makes You Smarter. n.d. PDF file.

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