Can You Really Resist the Influence of Pop Culture?

I will not be assimilated, but I don’t want to be left out. That’s the dichotomy of pop culture. On one hand, we desire to be part of the conversation, staying in the loop, and being up on the latest trends. On the other hand, we also need to resist negative influences and harmful ideologies. The world is no longer a simple place, and it seems like everyday it's becoming more complex to navigate. We face a constant barrage of information from social media, TV, movies, and online activities. We are inundated by pop culture every waking hour. Recent studies show the typical social media user now spends 2 hours and 24 minutes per day using social platforms (Search Logistics, 2025). When you factor in time spent watching TV, streaming, gaming and browsing the internet, it adds up to nearly seven hours a day online. That’s equivalent to 17 years of your adult life (Fortune, 2024)! That’s a significant chunk of our lives shaped by the influence of pop culture.

   

So, how do we protect ourselves from the negative effects of pop culture while moderating our digital consumption? The answer is simple: we must resist and become critical consumers! And what better way to do this than taking a course in pop culture? Over the next seven weeks we have the chance to educate ourselves–not just to be able to pass this class, but to become more informed, thoughtful human beings. People who can recognize the persuasive media surrounding us, use pop culture to reinforce positive beliefs and values, and perhaps even leverage it to improve our own lives, and the lives of others.  

For me, I hope to develop a critical lens through which to view pop culture, particularly in entertainment. How often do we watch a movie or series without paying attention to the real messages, some of which are well disguised or even hidden, that we are being exposed to? Do creators of content have an agenda? You’d better believe it. As the saying goes, “Knowledge is power,” and by the end of this course, I hope we will all be empowered to resist. For resistance is not futile; it is an essential part of becoming critical consumers of pop culture.

https://www.searchlogistics.com/learn/statistics/social-media-addiction-statistics/

https://fortune.com/well/article/screen-time-over-lifespan/