Popular Culture and Facebook

 

The term ‘popular culture’ holds different meanings depending on who’s defining it and the context of use. It is generally recognized as the vernacular or people’s culture that predominates in a society at a point in time.

I tried to search a particular meaning for popular culture. It has a variety of explanations and abundant definitions. With the fundamental aspects in mind, popular culture may be defined as the products and forms of expression and identity that are frequently encountered or widely accepted, commonly liked or approved, and characteristic of a particular society at a given time. Similarly in the context of viewing the literary dimensions, I came across Ray Browne and in his essay ‘Folklore to Populore’ offers a similar definition: “Popular culture consists of the aspects of attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, customs, and tastes that define the people of any society. Popular culture is, in the historic use of term, the culture of the people.”

A popular culture involves a large mass, thereby making it eminent and renowned. Therefore if any business ideas could be innovated keeping in mind, the concept of popular culture it is sure to take off profligately. Popular culture is proposed by the mass media and given that the audience is large it plays a major role in the society.  The understanding of popular culture is important in business. Popular culture is produced in order to shape the perception of the masses, therefore when businesses are selling their products they will have to propose certain popular culture in order for the consumers to accept the product, this can only be done through the mass media whereby a certain cultural text is proposed by the media in order to promote the product of the business.

 

One of the most influential and popular culture these days would be the extensive use of face book. The culture is not just limited within a certain mass of people; rather it has engulfed children, youths, adults and senior citizens too. However, the charm of this culture predominantly exists among the youths. Everyone is updating their statuses, everyone is posting their photos, everyone loves to know what is going around them, and everyone loves being on “ Face book”. “Facebooking”is the common term that is used exclusively these days and at homes or offices, at business hubs, schools or colleges, facebook stands as an almighty. Moreover, thanks to the wireless connections or wi-f, and 3G,  facebook can be used almost everywhere; yes, while you’re walking or traveling or even shopping. Facebook has done wonders! 

There is no doubt that facebook is globalizing us as well as our lives, but we need to control facebook and make sure that facebook never controls us back. It should never be given that space to hinder our productivity and efficiency. Using it rightfully can promulgate activism because of its association with popular culture, but exploiting it can cause a serious damage too. Just because it is a popular culture does not permit one to ignore their responsibilities and duties. 

Therefore, popular culture is something which people live with, but in different phases of time. It has to come into every body’s notion that a thing that is popular today may not be as popular tomorrow.