Social And Cultural Trends

Social And Cultural Trends That Have Shaped Society In 2018

Social and cultural trends shape our society in ways that influence the future and younger generations. In a world where people are always tapped into social media, these trends get started and spread much faster. People increasingly have shorter attention spans, and that means a socio-cultural landscape that is constantly changing. What are some of the cultural trends and social movements that have impacted society lately?

Did you see the news about Bill Cosby? He was just convicted of the charges he faced. When the news about what he did to women first came out several months ago, it was quite a shocker to everyone. Yet well before he ever faced a criminal trial, people figured he was guilty. Even though they knew he was guilty, it was still a shocker when he was finally charged and convicted. It was like the realization that it was finally 100% a reality, America’s Dad had sexually assaulted women.

Cosby’s downfall is one of many as the #MeToo movement has continued to gather momentum and expose both men of power and regular men who have mistreated and assaulted women. The movement has really shaped a new culture where people aren’t going to stand for this type of behavior anymore. No longer will acts like these be buried, and no longer will people look the other way. The #MeToo movement has infiltrated Hollywood and major networks, and women are starting to speak up and out against this type of behavior.

Think about how technology changes social and cultural trends, too. For example, think about how the motion picture industry and the music industry both have been impacted by digital media trends. Do you remember when Taylor Swift was fighting to keep her music off of Spotify? It was one thing for music to be sold digitally, but digital streaming services have changed the way musicians and movie production companies make money. It has really shaken things up quite a lot.

Then there is the last presidential election. It might not seem like recent history anymore, as it happened two years ago. Yet what’s next? That’s the point I’m making here. That was the sociocultural trend heard round the world. We didn’t elect a regular politician for president, and who knows what doors that will open. You can just imagine what the next presidential election is going to look like, an I’m certainly not saying it’s a good thing.

Consider how social media continues to change and influence people’s lives. Do you remember when Facebook was first started? Now it is a dinosaur, and people are using all kinds of social media apps like Snapchat, Twitch, and others. Have you heard of the robot citizens? Oh yes, that’s another one. If you start looking into the more recent sociocultural trends, you’re not going to believe what you find. There are some that you are already familiar with, and there are some that are coming to a neighborhood near you, like the robot citizens for starters.

Pop Culture

What Is Pop Culture and How is It Defined?

What is pop culture? Is a term that has different meanings. This depends on the person who is defining it and in what way the term is being used. It generally means that it is the culture of all people predominating society at a certain point. It applies to styles of dress, trends, uses of slang and what people eat. It comes mainly through all channels of mass media.

Popular culture has some aspects which most people would agree define it. It is something that changes frequently. In this technological world, media is more ubiquitous than ever and in all possible ways from printed materials to visual materials to data. Brands can become part of the pop culture especially if they are part of current trends which are finding favor with people in general.

This is a culture of all people of all ages but it can be swayed primarily by youth or those ages 11 to 35 years of age. It encompasses forms and products that are frequently seen and are liked, approved and accepted. For example, in terms of slang if someone were to say something is “far out” today it would be a lot less accepted and understood that the expression “next level.”

These components of pop culture change fast and tend to stick with one generation. A person in their 60s would recall saying far out readily as an expression of something awe-inspiring from their youth. A person today may recall years from now using the expression next level as being part of theirs.

Studies of pop culture show that it is something akin to folklore in that it gets passed on from the mass media and then becomes word-of-mouth, told and retold. Once it is established it goes through the cycle of trends whether it is a fashion, a musical dance, or a particular saying. Eventually, these will give way through folkloric tendencies to new and more popular fashions, dances and sayings.

Folklore blends with the commercial aspects of pop culture. One of the most common mediums of folkloric popular culture is television. While its technology has evolved and the ways in which people can watch it has changed, the element of a group of the population being influenced by common television shows has not.

Some people believe television is responsible for making the public less intelligent. Others believe it is a window into the history and trends of various decades that have passed since its invention Television shows from as early as the 1950s still air regularly, and can still influence the general population.

With the proliferation of social media platforms, the trends in popular culture are shared and consumed at lightning speed. They are also subject to change much more quickly than ever before. The tendency for regional areas to retain their regional styles and tastes in music, for example, are no longer confined. What might be considered popular in a small southern town in the United States is no longer always unfamiliar in a large European city.

What is pop culture? It is something omnipresent now that all forms of media have the power to influence those who consume them.