The Influence of Pop Culture

Pop culture helps determine and influence our choices on a regular basis. Watching the Kardashians or reading InStyle magazines creates ideologies of what we in a sense stand against. We start to believe that the material items we see in the media are a necessity. When I looked around my apartment for labels it wasn’t hard to come across them. The first one I noticed was my Lululemon book bag that I use for school. Lululemon is the new craze for people that participate in yoga or working out. The prices are extremely high, but since everyone is wearing this particular item with that specific logo it becomes almost a necessity in some peoples minds. Working out has become more than just a concern for your health, you are also expected to look good while doing it. The purse I wear on a regular basis is Rebecca Minkoff and although the label is hidden most people can automatically tell what brand purse it is because of the particular style. I see these purses all over including my neighborhood, television shows, and in online advertisements. It doesn’t just end at physical material items. I also read a fashion blog regularly, called Cupcakes and Cashmere. Emily Schuman, the blogger has created a career out of her blog. Brands such as Coach, Essie, Este Lauder, etc. pay Emily to post entries that include their brands to keep the readers aware of what items are being offered. I like reading the blog because I get ideas, but sometimes these ideas cause me to purchase items.

Although the two material items I purchased were both on sale, I was pushed to purchase them because they were on sale and they were that particular brand. When I see a name brand continuously it does to a certain extent make me want the item and also makes me believe that the item is more dependable and durable because many people choose that particular brand. The blog definitely holds a sense of value system for me because I trust that Emily knows the up to date styles and she posts brands that can fulfill that style. Pop culture influences everyone. We are surrounded by material items and advertisements daily and it influences our decisions to purchase.