You may recall that in 2022, the music of Kate Bush, one of her 37-year songs, took the best place in the music charts of the world. This was not a purely accidental thing. This happened as the direct consequence of the song being included in the critical scene of the Netflix series Stranger Things. This is one occasion alone that makes one have a clear shot of the strong, unbreakable bond between media and pop culture. The source of media is the platform and pop culture is the chat, the trends and the common experience that spur out of it. It is the same coin, a two-sided one, that constantly defines our reality and we may pay no attention.
The Inseparable Link: What is the Relationship Between Media and Pop Culture?
In its most basic understanding, it is an interrelationship where media is the jockey and pop culture is the rider who in most of the cases takes hold of the wheel. Media refers to all the sources by which we get informed and entertained including, television, film, social media, music, podcasts and news sites. Pop culture however is that set of ideas, attitudes and trends, popular within one society at a given time. It is just impossible to get one without the other. A pop culture item such as a viral Tik Tok dance requires the Tik Tok media in its existence. A pop culture (catchphrases, fashion trends, memes) is a product of a blockbuster movie (media). It is a kind of a synergy where this duo operates and leads us to a feedback loop, where the impact of digital media on our lives increases day after day.
From Broadcast to Viral: The Evolution of Media’s Influence
Over decades, interactions between media and pop culture have been altered significantly.
- The Broadcast Era (Past): Media used to be a one-way street when it came to the 20 th century. The news seen and heard by the masses were determined by a couple of powerful TV networks, radio stations and movie companies. Trends were imposed by the top down end and it took them a long time to make it.
- Digital Era (Present): Nowadays we are in the era of participatory media. The internet has leveled the playing field when making content through sites such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Everyperson who has a smartphone gets the opportunity to be a media creator and a trend can be started in the bedroom of a teenager and turned into an international phenomenon within 24 hours. This has given the cultural trends an even higher speed and as the impact of media is more personal and widespread than ever before.
The Real-World Societal Impact of Media and Pop Culture
A misunderstanding with this relationship is that it influences that which is cool or trendy. The societal effect is far reaching and holistic, and it affects the fabrics of our society.
And that is how media and pop culture both interact to create our world:
• Establishing Social Agendas: When a news organization (media) re-broadcasts the same thing, repeatedly over a course of time, it sends a message to the populace that there is a serious problem at hand and thus waves attendant discussions and creates pop culture. Rather popular documentaries such as Seaspiracy on Netflix made many people start discussing commercial fishing and ocean preservation.
• Development of Identity and Values: The visualization of different races, sex, and lifestyle in the media will directly have a connection on how the people perceive and accept them. Pose andSchitts creek have been heralded as examples of the normalization of LGBTQ+ stories on screen to create compassion and shift normative cultures. What we purchase in the market is directly affected by what we are seeing because these are the driving forces of the economy. The fashion trend dubbed as Barbiecore was not just another trend since it happened to be a giant economic engine to both the fashion and beauty industries thanks to the promotion and launch of one film.
• Building World Communities: Media enables us to meet people worldwide in terms of mutual interests. Be it that you like K-Pop, watch a certain streamer on the internet, or follow a film fandom, the media builds this kind of digital community which does not respect geographical borders and results in global pop culture.
How to Be a Smart Consumer in a Media-Saturated World?
Media is bombarding us on all sides so it is important to be in the minds and judgemental when it comes to what to be fed by the media. There are several pointers to help you sail through this territory smartly:
- Variety Is the Spice of Life: Do not seek all your news and entertainment with the same portal or in one particular view. To see the more balanced picture, follow creators and outlets that have a different background.
- Decipher the Message: The question you should go with yourself is: Who made this and why? Critical thinking depends on whether one understands the purpose behind a media content, to inform, entertain, persuade or sell something.
- The Algorithm is in the Picture: The social media feed is not a blank window into the world. It is a hand-picked place that keeps you entertained. Try to look out for the choices that get recommended to you.
Conclusion
Our era is the era of the mighty dance between media and pop culture. The media is the platform and pop culture is the dynamic performance, which is carried out there. Whether it be in the lyrics of the songs we listen to or in the problems we discuss, this dynamic duo plays a role in the life we lead, the values we abide to and in the unification of a worldwide dialogue. And by knowing of this relationship, we can be better than just spectators at best, we can be better informed participants of the culture that we all contribute to.