Popular culture is a culture of things that we as a country enjoy. What makes up popular culture changes quite frequently. It's made up of all sorts of artifacts including music, television, sports, and gadgets, just to name a few. Popular culture is important to me. It helps shape who I am. Because of popular culture I may be turned on to something that I otherwise wouldn't have known about. For instance, popular culture has turned me on to reality shows like The Biggest Loser. This show inspires me to become both emotionally and physically stronger.
My career is in the public safety field. I'm a firefighter/paramedic and I teach firefighters and EMT's. Popular culture is relevant to my work environment. One of the biggest skills used is communication. Now of days, people communicate differently then they did even ten years ago. Text messaging has changed the way we communicate. Instead of solely using radios to communicate with each other at work, we now use text messaging. Dispatches can send all county public safety members a message or they can pick one person to send a message to. At the fire department where I work, we receive text messages to give us information on open shifts, special assignments, emergency calls, and training classes. Without text messaging we would have to rely on other ways of communication like email. This can lead to messages not being relayed in a timely fashion because not everyone checks there email everyday. Another way we communicate is through social media. Our department has a Facebook page for the general public to follow and see what's happening at the department, as well as learn fire safety tips. Our chief has also created a members only Facebook page because he found that as a younger department most of our members check Facebook more frequently than any other form of communication. He'll post all kinds of important information that the members of the department need to know. Facebook is also used as a recruiting tool for our department any many others around us. Popular culture has changed the way we communicate on a daily basis.
I picked the television show The Biggest Loser as an example of pop culture. Reality shows have become very popular. They're a form of people watching which many people like to do. With The Biggest Loser show, the audience gets to see people truly transform their lives in a matter of months. The contestants on the show are obese and more often morbidly obese. They often have a realm of medical problems like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The show is as much mental as it is physical. During the course of the show the contestants learn how to deal with their emotions in a positive way. The contestants also learn to live healthier lifestyles by eating right and exercising. By the end of the show the contestants have completely transformed their bodies and lives. They usually lose a substantial amount of weight and regain their confidence in the process. This is what people like to see...success stories and that's what popular culture is about. It's made up of things that we enjoy and that make us happy. 
I would totally agree with this. I love this show because you get to follow along week by week watching how much weight has been lose or gained in some cases. The show is also relevant to our culture because so many people are struggling with their weight. Great choice!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog post. I think you did a great job at defining popular culture and providing examples of such in today's society. It's cool that your chief has adapted to the technology available and made it useful in your work setting. Some employers are a little behind the times in that regard. Again, great post.
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