Pop Culture Vs. Individual Values: How Society Is Destroying Our Individualism

Pop Culture VS. Individual Values: How Society is Destroying Our Individualism

My father is the one person in this world that I fear. It is a respectful fear that he has instilled in me throughout the years. To partially understand my father, you must have a little information about his past. My father's father was an alcoholic. I have heard that he was abusive and very angry. Later in his life, my grandfather had counseling and treatment and his family was able to talk out their feelings with him. Everyone except for my father because he was away at college or the Marines. Living with something like that makes a mark on a man's life. The Marines are programmed to break a man down and build him back up the way that they want. This is needed because the Marines are the cavalry in war. Marines have a mentality of "getting the job done" (Swaggert). This mentality changes their persona and many Marines come out of their service slightly mentally unstable. My father was one of them. My father has a rage that I believe has no bounds. He says, "the little door, when you open it unleashes the monster..." when my father came up to visit last, his siblings angered him. I watched with my grandmother as my father paced and growled, muttering bits of threats and vengeance. My grandmother kept insisting that my father cool down, however I understood. He was not overreacting; he was using his anger in a non-violent way. When he looked up I told him, "I know." He actually laughed and said, "it's genetic then is it?" Rage allows a person to continue when they may fall. It gives resistance to fear and sometimes a little muscle. It also helps to support your identity when outside forces might seek to change you. Through example, my father has taught me his rage.

Everyone has heard the saying, "if someone jumped off a bridge would you jump off too." Most people would answer no, however we find ourselves not actually living our lives by what we naturally believe. Everyone has a sense of their own values, and sometimes those values are affected by Pop culture. Pop culture is affected by many variables and therefore affects people differently. Pop culture has a system of values that are determined by many things. For instance government, survival needs, trends, and idols. Pop culture's values are made for society, and individuals need their own values.

Governments and nations affect the culture and values of a people. If a nation's government is dictatorial, it's citizens will value freedom. The culture's values will be a urning to be free and some people might value rebellious ideas or guerilla tactics, if not succumbed by fear. In America, we are not ruled tyrannically, but we have become numb to our government. Unless there is an economic crisis or something to rally against, people are content to do nothing. Men with values of their own are the ones who save nations from utter destruction. America's forefathers are an example of men who's individual values constructed the basis for an entire country.

Americas values, both pop cultures and individuals, are affected by the fact that we are not in any immediate danger. People in Ethiopia are more concerned with not dying from starvation than they are about whether they want pepperoni or italian sausage on their pizzas. When humans are no longer fighting to survive, our values change, this is shown in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (Boeree 2). Pop culture's values are categorized in the 'love and belongings' or the 'esteem' needs. Individual values are usually something learned, not something copied, and are formatted to a person's individual needs, and thus are a part of self-actualization. Morrie tells us that "how we think, what we value--those you must choose for yourself. You can't let anyone--or any society--determine those for you" (Albom 155).

Pop culture is influenced by trends and can change whenever something newer or more interesting comes along. Take Hurricane Katrina for example; there are commercials and internet applets everywhere asking people to donate to the relief fund. Worrying about something bigger than ourselves has been part of pop cultures constitution because of it's basis on sociality. America rallied together over what happened on September 11th. Personally this did not affect me, nor does it now. It happened 4 years ago and we are still at war, trying to fix a series of mistakes all because we were threatened. Morrie would have easily seen through this as he says, "people are only mean when they are threatened, and that's what our culture does" (Albom 154). Our culture overreacts horribly, and values justice to those that have wronged us. As the overreacting continued, the potential of a war draft worried me and many of my friends. I value my freedom to not have to fight in a war I do not believe in.

Pop culture also bases its values off people's idols. Pop stars are seen as examples for our