Pop culture is everywhere. It is in our everyday lives from the music we listen to, the movies we watch, the coffee we buy, the topics we Google search. “Popular culture is the system of attitudes, behavior patterns, beliefs, customs, and tastes that define the people of any society” (Brown, 2005, p.3). Since time and trends change rapidly, so does pop culture. To me, pop culture is something that should be analyzed just like any other part of history. Since it shapes our lives, it should be understood.
Understanding popular culture is relevant in the business environment because it dictates societal trends in spending, behavior, and forms of communication which are all business aspects. For instance, marketing is greatly based around consumer behavior which is greatly affected by these trends in society, established through pop culture. Consumers will spend money to be “in style” in the eyes of society. Another relevant example is the use of such pop culture artifacts as social networks such as Myspace and Facebook, etc. Even in the business world, these have become means of communication. Organizations may place an event on Facebook to get the word out about an event or new product or send a tweet on Twitter. These pop culture artifacts have become useful in the business world. Relevant to my present and future goals, understanding popular culture will help me in my career to target consumers in a marketing setting.
I consider videogames to be a pop culture artifact. Videogames are a part of millions of children’s, teens’, and adults’ lives including my own family’s lives. There are games for every age and for families to enjoy together. They can be played individually or with others, in the home, online, or on the go. According the National Institute on Media and the Family, in 2001 the amount of time spent playing video games varies by age however on average, children 2-17 spend 20-33 minutes a day playing video games, “92% of children, ages 2-17, play video and computer games” (National Institute on Media and Family, 2006). Ranking in the top three for eBay’s annual sales for 2008 was the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 videogame systems (Weir, 2008). By 2011, it is estimated that “the worldwide gaming market will be worth $48.9 billion”(Reuters, 2007), 12.5 billion in the U.S. alone. “Consumer spending on console and hand-held games will go from $6.5 billion in 2006 to $7.9 billion in 2011” (Reuters, 2007). Videogames are obviously a part of society and account for part of many peoples day and spending.
References
Brown, R.B. (2005). Profiles of popular culture: A reader. Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Press.
Reuters. (2007). Video-game sales overtaking music. Retrieved May 20, 2009 from
http://www.articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/VideoGameSalesOvertakingMusic.aspx.
Weir, T. (2008, December). On ebay, Favre outpolls president-elect. USA Today. Retrieved May 19, 2009 from Academic Search Complete.
National Institute on Media and Family. (2006). Media use fact sheet. Retrieved May 20, 2009 from http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_mediause.shtml.
