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From popular culture to consumer culture: Do you know how the media manipulates our choices?
In today's media-dominated society, the boundaries between popular culture and consumer culture are becoming increasingly blurred. With the rapid development of media, especially social media, our choices are influenced like never before. This not only involves our consumption behavior, but also affects our thoughts, values and cultural identity.
Media culture emphasizes the widespread influence of the media, especially television, press, radio and film, on public opinions, tastes and values.
Scholars who analyze media culture point out that the role of the media has changed from a mere transmitter of information to a shaper of culture. In the 20th century, with the rise of mass media, cultural output in Western capitalist societies was seen as media-driven. This is not just an occasional phenomenon, but is deeply rooted in our daily lives through the media.
Media culture and the “dumbing down” of society
Regarding the impact of media on culture, many critics believe that it promotes a kind of "stupefaction" of society. This is particularly evident in news reports and entertainment programs. For example, more and more newspapers focus on celebrity gossip and sensational stories rather than in-depth international coverage. Such changes have replaced high-quality artistic and cultural works and authentic folk traditions with content that is easy to understand for the general public.
"Popular culture and mass media have a symbiotic relationship: they are mutually dependent and intertwined in an intimate collaboration."
This phenomenon enables the media to not only reflect social reality, but also further shape social perception. Many scholars believe that this has led to people's prejudice against more profound cultural forms and a greater tendency to accept cultural products that are easy to understand. Over time, the cultural tastes of audiences who are accustomed to shallow content gradually change, and they tend to prefer low-challenging and shallow cultural products.
Media influence: TV and movies
Since the 1950s, television has become the dominant medium for shaping public opinion. And according to some studies, the media not only influences individual opinions, but also restructures other important institutions such as politics, religion and sports. In Durkheim’s book “Mass Culture”, it is stated that popular culture often trivializes profound aspects of life, such as sex, death, failure, and tragedy.
"Media not only exists as a cultural product, but also shapes the cultural process to a greater extent."
With the rise of social media, the traditional film industry faces new challenges and opportunities. Social media has become an important tool for filmmakers to promote their work, interact with audiences, and experiment with storytelling techniques.
Religion and Media Culture
The magnitude of media culture has led to it being compared to the role of traditional religions. Amid the rush and enthusiasm of consumers, product worship is seen as a modern fanatical ritual. Such an analogy makes us ponder whether the media's marketing strategies have replaced the position of traditional religion in public belief.
Symbolic consumption
Consumers' decisions are driven not only by practicality but also by symbolic value. Commodities help individuals construct narratives about their own identity and community belonging. Many scholars believe that symbolic consumption is a social construction, and the common perception of products conveyed through advertisements, magazines and television forms the shaping of individual identity.
Feminist perspectives on media culture
Feminist perspectives analyze the media and explore its impact on women and their place in society. For example, Angela McRobbie's research reveals how girly magazines shape young women's identities. However, with the rise of postfeminist perspectives, feminists have begun to focus on the persistence of gender stereotypes in the media.
Manipulation of media culture
Media culture is often viewed as a system designed to manipulate and influence society.
The growth of advertising and public relations reinforces the industry-led ideology that characterizes media culture as described by Theodor Adorno. The consumerist nature of media culture has also given it the label of an alternative to consumer culture.
Faced with all these situations, we can't help but ask: With so much media influence, how much freedom of self-selection and space for independent thinking can we still retain?
