Impact of Media on Social and Political Attitudes in Popular Culture

Running head: POP CULTURE AND MEDIA
POP CULTURE AND MEDIA
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Introduction:
Researchers defined popular culture as an aesthetic products that was created as well as
sold by companies to seek the attention of public health (Weldes and Rowley). The popular
culture contains of the activities and services which appeal primarily to members of the working
classes. The greatest power of popular culture is that the ideas that can transform society but
have yet to take shape or form (Lovelock). While popular culture can positively influence a
significant number of individuals in the society through different media events (typically on the
internet or social media), it has potential to alter the views and attitude of the population in
society and disrupt the basic balance of life. This paper will provide a critical analysis regarding
how media affect the social and political attitudes and values of people in the following
paragraphs.
Discussion:
Popular culture and media:
Popular culture has been conceptualized in several different overlapping ways which
have a strong impact on the individuals of the society (Crane, Kawashima and Kawasak). The
culture is the knowledge, values, and customs of one particular group is passed from person to
person and from one generation to the next. The simplest definition of the popular culture is the
modern culture that transmitted and reach out to every corner of the globe through mass media
and aimed to influence particularly younger people of society (Baker,Doyle and Homan).
Considering the sociological perspective of culture, culture helps people meet their biological
and integrative needs, providing them a way of living their happy life. Considering the
perspective of Symbolic Interaction, individuals create, and modify culture according to their
daily activities to connect with different layers of society. Hence, pop culture popular culture

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is the “glue” that holds society together by connecting each layer of society through different
activities. However, popular culture has the potential to alter the views and attitude of the
population in society and disrupt the basic balance of life with the help of mass media.
Impact of media on the social attitude of individuals:
Media and media messages, as a strong part of popular culture, can influence beliefs,
attitude and the democratic process. For the researchers, mass media, of the the television is
playing a crucial role in almost all aspect of daily life (Ngai, Spence and Moon). The television
considered a dominant medium which influences the social view and political view of
individuals. For example, a single exposure to a media message regarding expensive house
through internet or television may not shape the social view of others or provoke them to buy
that car to maintain a high status in society. However, over the time period, multiple messages
from many sources may shape their values of achievement and success, which reflected through
opinion about expensive cars. The population who are exposed to these kinds of messages
consider buying an expensive car as a benchmark for high social status. (Baker,Doyle and
Homan). The media that shapes the individuals also shapes their friends, extended family
members, community and other services. Most of Americans learn about social issues through
the printing media or electronic media. When this media strategically highlight some of the
scandals or life of celebrities, the majority of the citizen ignore the other social issues (Weldes
and Rowley). Consequently, the population of America, especially youngsters, tend to consider
these lifestyles or social messages as a benchmark of their success in life. Gary, Schne and
White, highlighted that the majority of the American youngsters exhibit violence, aggression,
substance abuse in their behavior due to the messages they receive from the media.
Influence of media on political views and attitude of the population: