Popular culture is things like art, music, technology, and fashion that fit into the mainstream of our society. Usually, it is something that is easily accessible to everyone, regardless of social standing within that society. Now what pop culture means to me is close to what the definition is. Personally, I see popular culture as culture that bridges gaps in society. There are certain luxury items that the elite culture enjoys that the popular culture category can't support because of either education or monetary reasons. In the same note, there are certain things that the elite category can't have because of lineage and or heritage, such as folk cultures. Items that reside in popular culture tend to be mass manufactured and easily accessible, so these items tend to bridge the gaps between the various groups.
Understanding popular culture is very relevant to me because I work with technology. Staying on top of technology and the current popular trends take a serious amount of effort to do. Every week I hear of some new application for smart phone that clients what to use at their business or that they want to change their company platform over to Blackberry or back to Apple. I need to be able to understand, implement, and troubleshoot the latest and greatest so that I can provide my customers with a better experience, because as we all know, technology can be a hassle.
To me, the perfect example of popular culture would have to be today's smart phones. I can't think of anyone who hasn't either tried one, own one, or at least heard about one. Just last year I equipped my father with a BlackBerry and he won't let that thing go. He could barely stand using email and the computer more than four years earlier. Now he texts and surfs the web on his phone. This device is a part of popular culture because he has no boundaries, and is accessible to just about anyone.
I could not agree with you more Brian. Smart phones is a wonderful example of popular culture. In todays day and time, you see so many smart phones everywhere you go. Not only are they being used for personal use, companies are using them too for easier access to company email and information that pertains to the company. Smart phones have really changed socity and what we can do from the palm of our hand. With this, there are a number of smart phones available to everyone.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post! Technology is getting ridiculous these days though, with newer and smarter phones coming out every couple months, but because it is a part of pop culture, people are willing to buy any and all new phones, some even not worrying about the costs. Like you said, practically everyone either has one or has used one. The technology makes communication through social networks easier, and the ability to stay in touch easier. I like the picture of the iphone to the ipad.
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