By Sophia Valdary

Have you heard the new Taylor Swift album? What Marvel movie is coming out next? Pop culture’s strong impacts on interconnectedness are undeniable. It has the capability to connect people on opposite sides of the globe, a phenomenon that was once unthinkable. The Cambridge English Dictionary defines pop culture as “music, TV, movies, books, etc. that are popular and enjoyed by ordinary people, rather than experts or very educated people.” Pop culture’s ability to defy the borders of location and class make it a powerful tool for uniting groups of people. More specifically, pop culture has a strong impact on the nuances of media arts. As popular culture changes, media arts, which is a direct reflection of societal influence, changes with it. Media arts allows a person to creatively reconceptualize pop culture in a way that they see fit. Aspects of pop culture are explored and expressed through different art forms, with the youth in particular having an interest in this topic.

To gain more insight into this form of creativity, I spoke with my school’s media arts instructor, Natalie Beck. She takes me inside her cave of an office. Lights line the walls, adding a soft glow to the otherwise gloomy sky that looms outside of her window. She sits down in a green, swirling chair and begins to eat her cafeteria lunch. She reminds me that one of her first ever students was my older sister. As someone who has put so much effort into media arts, Mrs. Beck has become familiar with the value of its importance in both the present day and in history. “The arts are a primary expression of pop culture whether it is sustaining it or running in opposition - counter-culture. Either way, pop culture is at the center and the arts are a response and reflection of the current culture. You can see the progression of history very clearly through all forms of art movements whether it is music, theatre, photography or film. When cavemen were drawing handprints and animals on the walls of caves (the earliest expression of art), they were representing themselves and the values of the world around them - their own popular culture.” Art has always been a form of self-expression. Additionally, with the rise of digitization, the capabilities of art itself have grown. Mrs. Beck has seen how pop culture has influenced this growth firsthand in her students' work. “I can see the conceptual shift over the last 15 years of my time as a teacher. I suppose it makes forming student connections both easier and more difficult in some ways.” The constant flow of information can be difficult to keep up with, but it is always rewarding to see positive changes made as a direct result of media arts. She comments that, “the big push to portray female characters as independent and strong in recent years (as opposed to helpless without a male protagonist) we see a shift from Snow Whites and Cinderellas to the Annas and Moanas. Diversity is also more apparent in the contemporary media arts world both in terms of the artists and subject matter.” As of recently, people have gained the opportunity to advocate for problems that were formerly overlooked through the observation of pop culture. These forms of media art have shown the strength of the interconnectedness of pop culture and media arts.

As most of us know, pop culture is often geared toward up-and-coming younger generations. Many people from this age group choose to use hot topics from pop culture to start new conversations. An article published by the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis asks why humans are influenced by pop culture. It states, “when you show interest in something from pop culture, it shows what you value as an individual.” Pop culture’s influence has led people to associate interests with outlooks. When we ask someone what their favorite movie is, their answer tells us something about them as an individual. As a result, pop culture also has the ability to unify groups of people. For example, a comic convention brings together people who all share a common interest in comic book characters. Pop culture is a gateway through which we meet new people, make new friends, and form new connections. 

To explore this topic even further, I had a conversation with my sister, Victoria. I wanted to know, from a perspective other than my own, what a teenager’s perspective of pop culture is. She started expressing her thoughts by showing her understanding of the strength of pop culture’s influence. “Pop culture is, like, very subliminal sometimes, so, [...]even if I think that I’m not being influenced by it, I’m still influenced by it.” With the rise of digitization, pop culture has subconsciously integrated itself into everyday aspects of our life. English teachers may reference movies when trying to get a theme across. I once had an appointment with a doctor who wore a “Greys Anatomy” patch on her white coat. Tiny, yet meaningful moments like these are small indications of pop culture’s societal impact. Victoria also remarks on the customization of pop culture with, “My favorite thing about pop culture is that I can gather stuff from it that [...]  like, [becomes] my own style.” The wide variety that exists within pop culture allows for individuals to have the ability to choose what they want to engage in. These choices reveal some of their interests, hobbies, and other aspects of their personality. Whether we are able to admit it or not, pop culture, and its influence is here to stay.

Pop culture’s compelling ability to connect people and create positive changes makes it an essential part of modern society. Its influence on media arts and its importance in making social connections is evident in day to day life. Furthermore, this culture’s popularity allows it to form global connections between groups that would otherwise be isolated from one another. Although culture is generally attributed to one group of people, pop culture is ubiquitous, which reinforces its vitality to societies all over the world. Over the years, it has become an essential part of how humans interact with one another, meaning that pop culture won’t be leaving any time soon.