Criteria for Defining Modern Popular Culture
In light of developing a criterion for defining modern popular culture, it is essential to consider that the concept incorporates two aspects which include modernity and popularity. The aspect of popularity contends that popular culture is widely accepted by the concerned people. On the other hand, modernity evaluates human behavior in terms of its current relevance to the people (Burke, 2009).
This implies that the best criteria that can be used to define popular modern culture must incorporate the two fundamental aspects. It is, therefore, evident that behavior is referred to as a modern popular culture if it satisfies the two conditions which include current relevance and massive familiarity. In the first step of this criterion, the researcher evaluates whether the behavior is known by a massive number of people. In the second step, the researcher should determine whether the behavior is currently relevant to the people within that environment (Burke, 2009).
For example, the consumption of fast food is a modern popular culture in the European country based on the two aspects of this criterion. In the first instance, fast foods have been widely accepted amongst European citizens. Secondly, it is consistent with the modern economy, which is moving towards the consumption of chemical equivalents of natural foods, due to the low cost of producing the ingredients.
Personal Impact by Modern Popular Culture
I was affected by the prevalence of fast foods due to the process of modernization. In the past, I consumed organic food that was prepared in a traditional manner. When I joined an undergraduate program at the university, I experienced a shift in culture. The surrounding town had a popular modern culture of consuming fast foods for breakfast since they were easy to prepare and consume. On the other hand, organic foods were both rare and costly due to the low supply from the farms. It is, also, surprising that my colleagues considered fast foods as being more prestigious than traditional food. This reduced the frequency of consuming traditional food due to social status. This condition changed my original eating habit of consuming traditional food. This implies that modern popular culture can mold the behavior of the people in accordance with the prevailing conditions.
Sense of Identity
In accordance with the sense of identity, I have accepted and rejected various aspects of modern popular culture. First, I have accepted that modern popular culture is an essential agent of changing people’s behavior. This emanates from the tendency of people to follow the way of the masses regardless of the correct position. This implies that people will follow modern popular culture so that they are not discriminated against by their colleagues.
However, I have rejected the notion of following modern popular culture regardless of the correct position. Following the masses can lead to adverse economic, social, and health consequences (Crothers, 2010). For example, the consumption of fast food is increasing the rate of diabetic complications in European countries. This means that modern popular culture is resulting in health complications. Increasing the rate of this consumption will lead to increased nutritional problems. As a result, I argue that people should not follow the modern popular culture in a blind manner (Crothers, 2010). Instead, I believe people should evaluate the consequences before adopting behaviors that are portrayed in modern popular culture.
References
Burke, P. (2009). Popular culture in early modern Europe (3rd ed.). Farnham, England: Ashgate.
Crothers, L. (2010). Globalization and American popular culture (2nd ed.). Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield.