Pop Culture and Generation Me

Generation me, the individualized generation or the Apple generation are just a few names that label us as we leave the year 2012 and go into year 2013. Lovers of technology, style and everything Apple, we are the generation that is more focused on Taylor Swift and her latest Kennedy beau than the latest decisions on the fiscal cliff. But the question still remains and it seems like it always will: “Has pop culture affected who our generation is now?”

We live in time where pop culture is what’s most important to us. Our news channels are more hip on certain topics than “E news.” But the level of importance is the question we have to ponder about. Let’s take the recent hook up of rapper Kanye West and television reality star Kim Kardashian. From the beginning, many of us have been against this relationship. We call it “random.” Despite the dislike for the couple, we love every moment of the two being together. We follow their Instagrams, read the blogs, watch the videos, and scan the photos of the two on their latest shopping sprees. They’re even regularly stalked on Twitter. Good ‘ol Twitter is our go-to place for the latest news or buzz that we can set our eyes on. We live vicariously through these celebrities lives. We have become the generation of “I want to be like” rather than “I am”.

When it comes to the individualized aspect of our generation we are sole thinkers. There is no one right way to do things. In the masses we tend to decide on things at the last minute. Not to say that this is a negative attribute of our generation but rather a clever one. We as “generation me” tend to research, ponder and look around until it’s our last hour to decide on subjects. Some may call it procrastinating or last minute but this leaves room for thought; we think about making our choices and how it will affect not only us but our future and the next generation’s future.

Sex and “generation me” has its ups and downs. We are the generation of sex. Sex has become way more common to our generation. Protection and ads promoting safe sex are everywhere in light of encouraging our generation brothers and sisters to “wrap it up”. Some say that we have become way too focused on sex and it seems like it is becoming overrated.

Stereotypes and labels have also sparked an interest in our generation. We tend to judge others without even getting to know them. Bullying in this age is more than a recess secret; it has made its appearance on CNN and other major news networks.

Although all the cards seem to be stacked against us, not all of the ways pop culture has affected us is negative. When it comes down to the way we think or the way we are can’t separate our fingertips from our iPhones, we are not far from becoming detached from the world. Are we just moving with the day and age? Are we creating a new future, the ultra tech savvy generation – a future that we envision? Whoever we are, whoever the books name us, whoever the professors call us, we are the generation that never gives up. Never. Not for aspirations or inspirations. We may be “generation me” but we also are the generation of the future.

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