TEEN AND POP CULTURE

 TEENS AND POP CULTURE. by Mulange Ula Misa 664632

Popular culture, also known as pop culture, is, according to the dictionary, cultural activities or commercial products reflecting, suited to, or aimed at the tastes of the general masses of people. Basically, this culture interests a lot of people, especially the youth. What does pop culture include? You may ask. Celebrities, fashion, music, and most popular, media. Teens, really active and naïve to new things, are totally affected by these things, and that is exactly what we will talk about.

From sports personalities to actors and actresses, celebrities are everywhere. And the teens love them. It is not new to see teens around you changing their fashion, mode of dressing, and even way of speaking to align with how a certain celebrity does their things. I mean you cannot even blame them. Celebrities are everywhere! All of us see them and of course, admire them. The problem though comes when these same celebrities who are somewhat role models to our teens, become a nuisance. Teens are still trying to figure out who they are, they blindly follow these celebrities into the dark wormholes of life. Nevertheless, I do believe some celebrities totally propel teens to greater heights.

Every time I look at my teen sister leaving the house, I am beyond shocked. While you would think that on a sunny day the best thing to wear is a basic vest and a pair of shorts, fashion says different and of course, the teens have hopped on it. Teens are often misunderstood, don’t even deny it, and so one of the ways to express themselves is in what they wear. I believe what someone wears speaks a lot about their personality. You can easily know a teen who is into rock music, for example, they will probably be walking around with heavy makeup and chains, while a teen into art will probably walk around in rather peculiar clothing. As time goes by, teens have developed a sense of identity in their fashion senses and I am nothing but awed.

Music is food to the soul, I believe because I totally enjoy music. And teens are no exception. Music is something that has changed over the years and if you take a closer look, teens over the years have changed just as swiftly as the music they listen to. Different genres have proven to be popular among teens, the most popular being pop music. For those who may not understand how in the world music could affect a mere teenager, let me break it down to you. Just like fashion, you can tell a teen’s personality by the songs they listen to. If a teen is what society would deem emotional, then the preferred genre would be Blues. If a teen enjoys southern American accents and boots and ranches, you will forever catch such a teen listening to country music. Teens’ study habits, language, dressing, and social communication are affected by the music they listen to. I believe it is really important to try as much as possible to ensure our teens are not negatively affected by music.

Medical News Today has done a study with 600 films and 5,000 students and has found out that movies play an important role in a teenager's decision to drink at a young age. Movies, television, play a big role in teens’ lives. I am not talking about social media though, just to be clear. As a child, I believe movies and different tv shows shaped how I did a lot of things. And the same goes for teens around the world. When teens are exposed to tv shows that promote sexual perversion, drug abuse, and other negative things, of course, they pick these things up! A teen is somewhat a child, somewhat an adult, and so they pick what to believe as right or wrong. But consistency is key. If all the time they are watching tv, they only encounter shows where nudity is not a big deal, then eventually this becomes quite normal to the teen and eventually, the fruits are seen. I honestly think parents can help and tame the things their teens watch on tv shows and movies. Not being very strict with them, but rather telling them the dangers and suggesting better ones.

I think by now, anyone reading this has probably gotten one or two about teens and pop culture, and if that is so, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!