By Lauren Barbour

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Depending on who’s interpreting it, “pop culture” can go through several variations of definition. However, in general it can be thought of as the collection of mainstream ideas, attitudes, perspectives, customs, etc. that reflect a society at a given time. In other words, it’s the culture of the people and the most immediate aspects of their lives, which can include anything from fashion to food and, unsurprisingly, mass media.

With that said, the relationship between society and media such as television, books and video games becomes clearer; media can be indicative of culture as a whole but just as we influence it, it also shapes us, by furthering certain ideas and norms by implying that they’re common belief and should be accepted unconditionally. That is a lot of power to give to something; moreover, that is a lot of power to give to the people behind it, who are producing the shows and movies we watch, the stories we read and even the music we listen to, which is dangerous.

For example, if the only exposure to other cultures people have are stereotypes in media, those ideas are going to carry over outside of it. If the only sympathetic characters available to children just portray traditional values, whether in relation to gender roles, identity, etc. that is what they’re going to grow up aspiring to. The spread of a certain idea can be incredibly damaging but that is the power some people hold. Sometimes it’s put to good use and other times it results in some very problematic things being produced.

And that is when the betterment of media must occur, the responsibility for which should fall on two parties: the consumer and the creator. Obviously, it would be great if creators took it upon themselves to continue improving their products and didn’t have to be pushed or prodded into doing things like better representing minorities or stopping the romanticization of certain relationship dynamics (such as the idea that every girl should give a guy they have no romantic interest in a chance). However, those developments are often prevented by the idea that if people are already buying into it, it doesn’t have to change. The assumption is made that people will continue consuming what is put out no matter what, that fans are only able to passively accept the canon provided as the “word of God.”

One look at Tumblr or Twitter will show that this doesn’t have to be the case. People are learning to be increasingly vocal about what they want, which is an example of the consumer taking responsibility into their own hands. If there is something wrong with a piece of media, whether that be a book, video game or movie, it should be called out. And those things can range from bad writing to a lack of proper representation; after all, any form of media has multiple aspects to it.

It’s reasonable to assume that discussion of flaws will meet resistance, especially from other fans, because there is a sort of reflex to defend the things we love. However, criticism doesn’t necessarily imply dislike and once people realize that, more in-depth discussions of media can take place. Not all ideas should be entertained but, as with everything, there can be value in lending an ear.

So give praise where praise is due, because another part of change is making it known what’s being done right. Just don’t feel like we have to accept everything being done wrong; those aspects can be changed. Sometimes it just takes enough people making noise about it for it to happen.