Is Pop Culture Good For You?

We can see pop culture in the music we hear, movies we watch, and even trends that go viral on social media. It influences our view of reality and our interaction with the rest of the world. But in any case, does pop culture serve us well, or does it mean the poison chalice and side effects hidden therein? It is both an integrative and divisive force, creative and commercial; there cannot be one correct answer to that question. Whether or not pop culture is good for a person depends fully on the way he or she engages in it and the values it preaches.

Pop culture acts on the one hand as some kind of universal binder in that it is through pop culture that people from different walks of life get to come into some kind of resonance, generating shared experiences. According to Alexandre O. Philippe in his TED talk entitled "Why Pop Culture?", it is a "universal language," one which actually crosses borders, bringing people together. Whether it be the newest blockbuster film or some viral meme that is sweeping the nation, pop culture connects people. It doesn't matter if you come from the same cultural background or even speak the same language-you can laugh at the same joke or get moved by the same story. In this way, the connectivity factor makes pop culture such a great tool.

But not all the influence that pop culture has is positive. In the TED talk, "Pop Culture is Dead! ", Phil Miller warns about the commercialization that dripped through every corner of modern media. He takes the example of the show EastEnders, which, over the years, had seen viewership plummet in comparison to shifts in media consumption. We are no longer gathering with our friends and family around the water cooler, awaiting the next episode to come on in a week's time. We binge-watch whole seasons in solitude without any sense of community that special event once had.

These same platforms that bring us together also alienate us as we individually consume for our individual tastes on our own devices. The reach and influence of pop culture extend far beyond the realm of entertainment. Social movements like awareness of climate change Fridays for Future-run by youth, their platform in pop culture. The name of activists like Greta Thunberg became a household name not by traditional media but through viral moments on social platforms. While that can make important messages go further, it also risks reducing complex issues down into easily digestible soundbites.

Pop culture does bring awareness to important issues but at the same time often trivializes them, making the issues part of the trend that will not last and thus may not create long-lasting change. Indeed, Pop culture does play a significant role in promoting body positivity and raising awareness about mental health. Body-activist influencers and celebrities like Lizzo and Selena Gomez have been using their platforms to be open about their personal stories of self-acceptance and struggles with their mental health. It is through openness that fans get called to action in body acceptance and seeking help, thus creating a sense of community and breaking down stigmas on these issues. However, commercialization tends to reduce such movements into oversimplification. Powerful in themselves, body positivity sometimes gets hijacked for company profits, watering down its original message. Just so, complex voices about mental health get reduced into simplistic, catchy slogans on social media. This heightened complexity is what really requires conscious consideration in engaging with pop culture, lest the conversations make sure not to lose their sincerity and effectiveness.

Is this medium used to connect some gaps, to enlighten, or is it taking over life in a rather unhealthy way? Neither good nor bad, pop culture is just a reflection of society and a mirror to values. It is left to the individual how to make use of that reflection. Will it bring people closer to each other or increase the gap between them? Will it be used to raise important causes, or water down those causes into trends? That's entirely a personal decision.