IN THE SPOTLIGHT
DECODING POP CULTURE
A look into the world of memes, viral videos and other trends Does your child often talk in languages you do not understand? Are memes, gifs, reels words you hear often but cannot comprehend. Welcome to the Gen Z world of pop culture! In this article we introduce to you what pop culture is and its impact on society. The Oxford dictionary defines Pop Culture as, ‘Modern popular culture transmitted via the mass media and aimed particularly at younger people’. Constantly evolving with upcoming generations, it is expressed through forms of art, intellect and culture. With the rapid advance of the internet and social media, pop culture’s influence on our society has never been more prominent than today. Ease of access to global media has also made its reach and impact grow by the day. Essentially it is the content, practices and lifestyles portrayed across media platforms that reflect the tastes and values that are generally accepted by society at a given time. These books, toys, films, music, TV shows, etc. that may not be exceptional works of art, cater to a wider audience and have the power to unite a variety of people by giving them a common topic to converse on. Teenagers and individuals in their 20’s are influenced the most and are some of the biggest consumers. One major reason is that social media has become a part of their daily lives; checking your phone when you wake up has now become a habit for most people. An endearing aspect of pop culture is to bring in humour to everyday routines and struggles. By doing so, it emphasizes the fact that everybody goes through similar ups and downs in life. For example, memes are hilarious captions or statements often put on a background of a widely known cinema reference. These captions can address topics such as the struggles of a student, to funny situations pet owners find themselves in or even parent stereotypes. Talking about its impact on individuals, there are cases when people have taken up a subject or inculcated a habit because their favorite character from a film/show or a book, is an expert of that topic. There was a boom in students taking up European history after watching the show Game of Thrones or a surge of interest in Hockey after the success of Chak de India. We also notice youngsters adopting to different slangs based on the
music that they are listening to or the shows they are watching. Recently creators of content, knowing the power they hold over the youth are also looking at sending powerful social messages through their content. It is not uncommon for people to seek encouragement from their favourite books, movies, shows or music. Let us consider a series such as Harry Potter which represents in good light all the kinds of students you may come across in a class. Hermione Granger is a strong female character that speaks out to all the so called ‘nerds’, a group of students who find a joy in studying. At the same time, it also shows how back benchers such as Fred and George Weasley who are not interested in academics, excel when they follow their passions and pursue something they truly believe in. Closer to home, movies such as Dil Chahta hai, Zindagi na milegi doobara and 3 idiots have touched upon the topics of friendship, camaraderie, and self discovery through travel. Through their powerful stories they have inspired generations of people to take a break from time to time and set out on an adventure. Their songs remain a must have for any road trip playlist. Like everything in life, pop culture if consumed in excess can have negative impacts as well. With OTT (Over the Top) platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime making their own content, the occurrence of violence and foul language has increased in TV shows and movies. However, an option is available for parents to control what their child can watch. The best option is to encourage your children to watch quality content and enjoy it along with them. Take the time to understand their world instead of rejecting it. Its okay to sometimes learn from your children, ask them to tell you about the latest viral trends. During the lockdown there was a surge in parents and children together participating in social media challenges. Surprise your moody teenagers by sharing a witty meme and learn to take humour seriously! Laughter is after all the glue that holds the family together. We wish you a pleasant journey into the dank (not damp, it means excellent in urban slang, your first lesson for today) world of pop culture.
Commonly known as Asian parent memes, these make fun of the high expectations Asian parents tend to have of their children especially with regards to academics.
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ECOTRAIL, OCTOBER NOVEMBER 2020
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