Social Influence Of Pop Culture In Canada

Now more than ever, Canadian society along with every other society is heavily influenced by popular culture. “Modern popular culture transmitted via the mass media and aimed particularly at younger people” (Ratha, 2017). Media not only influences individuals, but impacts the formation of their social identity. Academic study is devoting time to expand the knowledge of a preferred subject. Pop culture has a large-scale social impact on individuals, therefore it would become a sociological study. Pop culture deserves academic study because of socialization, being one of the largest shapers of society as a whole, and creating social interaction.

Society is often influenced by situations that happen on television, music, and movies. Media sets an example for how everything “should” be. Although it may seem accurate, this has many negative and positive effects on society. A study could break down and analyze why individuals are so heavily reliable on the media, and use it to live their own personal lives. Pop culture is also a good example of many studies in academia, since there are shows for every genre including criminology, psychology, etc. Many studies are done about the actions of individuals and in social settings, so comparing the actions of social settings in real life and how it is displayed in the media would be interesting.

In an article that The New York Times published, academia and Jersey Shore was written about discussing the new cast member Deena Cortese.

The article writes “for an episode in which she thwarted the Situation’s attempt to bring home twins by swiping one for herself. In the process, she became a trickster figure, upending the show’s heteronormativity and its power dynamics” (Caramanica, 2011). Television shows often display events that can be studied, analyzed and put into further research. For this specific show, since it is said to be a documentary the characters were further analyzed to study the individual in a social

setting.
Studies can be done on pop culture creating social interaction. Pop culture brings individuals together who have a common like for that specific popular culture. Individuals may be completely opposite, but having one specific like can bring a group together. Today, there are many themed restaurants, recipes, events, etc. that are influenced by the media and have a lot of supporters. Often times, individuals will not strike random conversation with each other, but seeing they are wearing a band tee featuring your favourite band may make it easier.
Overall, pop culture influences, impacts and shapes society in many ways. Anything would deserve research if it has such an impact on the world, and deserves to be picked apart and critically analyzed. Everything that happens in the media may not seem realistic, but the reality of it all is that with it being displayed across the world, it is more likely for it to happen.