Social Networking Website Analysis 1-4-2

            The popular culture topic I have chosen to write about is social networking websites.  Social networking websites have become an important part of the belief system of the American people.  I say this because so many people now look to these sites in order to express themselves socially and if one does not participate in social sites, such as Facebook or MySpace, your friends and associates may pressure you to do so.  It almost seems as if some people want their associates to join these sights because then they can find out what the other people are doing.  The Popular Belief system now seems as if everyone should know what everyone else is doing.  We see this through these social networking websites and the media, ie. The Enquirer.  It seems as if posting a profile and contributing to these websites is the new “in” thing to do.  People, of every age, seem to more and more be using these social websites to keep in touch with friends, let everyone know what they have been doing, find a way to express themselves during their free time, and now, more so than ever, employers are checking these websites to evaluate their employees or potential employees. 

            I feel as if this particular pop culture topic has become a part of the Popular Belief system of not only the United States, but anyone in the World with access to a computer.  Why do people feel compelled to post their picture and information about their life to a social networking website?  Maybe it has to do with the fact that the more people that view your profile and “friend” you on these sites, the more popular you feel, which makes you feel better about yourself.  Unfortunately, to every upside there is a downside, and many people use these websites to downgrade and humiliate other people they are angry with.  Their anger should be privately discussed with the other person, but the angry person wants the World to know and situations like this can become very bad for both parties.  I look at these social networks and the only reason I can see that so many people feel compelled to contribute to them is because it is what everyone else is doing.  They can be great for keeping in touch with friends that you are not able to see often, but they can be horrible when someone turns them into ugliness and publicly humiliates another person. 

            When I look at the Beliefs of Popular Culture, I see that becoming a part of social networking websites is a big part of that belief system.  Humans, naturally, are social beings and these websites give even the shyest person a chance to “talk” to other people.  These websites, if used for the right purpose, can make people feel better because they are able to communicate with friends and associates they may not ordinarily be able to.  But, if they are used to downgrade another, in order to make yourself feel better, I feel as if those people should have no access to these websites. 

Popular Culture Icons

The three popular culture icons I chose to present to you in this blog are Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, and American Idol.  Steven Tyler is the lead singer of Aerosmith and one of the Judges on American Idol.  Aerosmith is a rock band that has been extremely popular for some thirty years now.  Jennifer Lopez is also a Judge on American Idol, but she is also a very popular singer, actress, and businesswoman.  She has her own perfume line and is a very successful celebrity.  Americal Idol is a television show aimed at finding extremely talented singers for which American's can vote their favorite singer to the top and to a record deal.  The show has been airing for several years now and some very popular musicians have been discovered through this show, such as Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson, to name a few. 

I chose these three pop culture icons because I feel as if their longevity in icon status has been tremendous.  There are many popular culture icons that fade from popularity in a short time, but these three icons have withstood the test of time, with American Idol being the youngest at nearly a decade.  Millions of people watch American Idol; I think this is because many people relate to the  young, hopeful artists on the show.  The show gives unknown singers a chance to be heard and discovered.  With the show's popularity and because it is called American Idol, it makes sense that the Judges would also be pop icons.  Steven Tyler's celebrity icon status began with the discovery of his band Aerosmith and has continued to rise for almost thirty years.  I remember listening to Aerosmith when I was a teenager and I still like their music to this day.  His band continues to sell out concerts to young and older crowds of fans.  Aerosmith is probably one of the longest lasting bands in American history.  Jennifer Lopez has also had a long standing career as a very well known celebrity.  She took began her trip to icon status in the mid-90's.  She has sold millions of albums and starred in multiple films, such as The Wedding Planner, Monster-in-Law, and Money Train, which was one the films that began her rise to Pop Icon status. 

I am one of the millions of people that watch American Idol.  I have to say it is one of my favorite shows and I try to never miss it.  My kids love it too and we all try to take the time to sit down and watch it together.  We discuss our favorites and least favorites and have a good time watching the show together.  American Idol is one of the few television shows I watch.  Between work, school, and kids, I rarely watch television, but it is nice that when the season comes around I make sure to take a little break to watch it with my kids.  Over the past few years it has almost become like one of our little traditions.

Popular Culture Artifact

Popular Culture, to me, is the fads, values, customs, and way of life of the majority of people.  It includes the television shows the masses of people are now watching, (reality shows, American Idol),  the vast amount of people that are now using the internet as a means of communicating, and the many social networks that people post their profiles too, to name a few.  Twitter is one of the newer communication websites; celebrities and even the President tweet.  While I have never done so myself, many people everywhere are now using this website to update the world on their everyday life.  Popular Culture is the here and now of what the majority of people believe is in style.  Some of the biggest influences on Popular Culture are the media, celebrities, and technology.

Understanding Popular Culture is relevant in a business environment also.  One reason why it has become so important to business is because so many companies are using the internet as a means of advertising.  These companies may have a website they use for promoting their business, but they may now also have a Facebook page, where people can "like" them and become their "friend."  Businesses have to try to keep up with Popular Culture in order to effectively promote their business.  For instance, many people now use the internet as a means of finding products or services to purchase and if your business is not found on the internet when they are looking, you could be losing sales to businesses that are.

An example of a Popular Culture artifact is social networking websites.  I chose this artifact because I believe it has become extremely popular in the world today.  While I find that the internet can be a  useful tool in business networking, communicating with friends that you may not otherwise be able to have contact with, or a way to meet new people, I feel as if some people have become consumed by it.  For instance, I have a Facebook account, which I only set up because someone was like, "You don't have a Facebook account?!", like I must be from the stone age or something.  So it seems to me that the new fad is to post your daily, personal life to a social networking site everyday.  For me, Facebook isn't something I have the time or inclination to keep up with so I haven't logged in in quite some time, but when I used to jump on there occasionally to see what was new, it seems as if many people spend all of their free time posting on their Facebook page.  It made me wonder why some people feel the need to let everyone know what they are doing all of the time.  It also seems as if many people are now putting the most private intimate details of their lives on these sites for the world to see.  I always wondered where people got so much free time that they could sit on the computer just to post to a website telling everyone what movie they watched or where they are going that day.  I guess the social networking sites are a Popular Culture artifact I will stay outside the loop on, because work, school, and children consume most of my time, and the little I have left, I do not want to spend in front of a computer screen.