At first thought of the word "culture," I thought of a younger generation constantly posting on their social networks of their everyday activities and demonstrated what they learned from the Jersey Shore. That may be culture of a young generation, however, culture really is defined as everything in a particular society and its learned behavior. Many cultures have cultural routines that may differ from countries. For instance, the Japanese culture is dissimilar from the American culture and its language, traditions and beliefs. A vast majority of the Japanese population worships Buddha and speaks Japanese. Whereas in the United States, English is the dominant language and Christianity is the dominant religion. American culture seems to be very diverse due to its different race and nationality in part because it is a country founded by immigrants. Yet, America's culture is greatly influenced by the government and the media of the impressionable minds. As much as Americans hate to admit it, they heavily follow what society and the media expects of them. The media does not say it out right but we can especially see their expectations in advertising and the news.
After researching and analyzing the media, I got a firsthand look at the constraints the media has on our culture. Most people are unaware of the impact and consequences the media has in shaping our culture. A simple advertisement we come across in a magazine can have more meaning than we consciously know. The media is very subtle about the message they convey and for good reason. They are constantly objectifying the image of women to the point where it is very unhealthy. When the media constantly portray women as perfect, it greatly affects women in our culture.
The news deliberately has bias opinions toward a particular political party. Depending on the station, website, or newspaper, you can see detect a distinct favoritism. For instance, the Los Angeles Times is a well known newspaper and is widely known to favor liberal point of views as opposed to the Orange County register favoring conservatives. This bias helps shape our culture by shaping our point of views of the world.
Patterns of learned behavior can also define a culture. No matter where you live, there is a set culture. Cultures are predominantly different due to its location. Someone living in the country will live a different life than one living in a big city. Living the country life is drastically different than city life. The country life has a smaller population, fresher air and relying on providing their own food. Whereas city life is more of a rush, glamorous, fast food and neighbors are within walking distance. Culture is important because it is what makes societies unique. It makes traveling more eventful and exciting. The American culture may be depicted as diverse and unique, but it is really just people living out what the media and news portray and expect culture to be.
