Popular Culture and the Construction of Social Values in the Digital Era
Vishal O
Assistant Professor of cultural studies, Sri.Mahadeshwara Govt First Grade College, Kollegal – 571 440,
Chamarajanagar.
Keywords: Popular Culture, Digital Era, Social Values, Media Effects, Algorithmic Culture, Participatory Culture
Abstract
This study investigates the transition of popular culture from passive broadcast consumption to active, algorithmically driven
participation within digital networks. Utilizing a mixed-methods triangulation design, the research combines qualitative
critical discourse analysis of high-engagement digital artifacts with quantitative metrics tracking virality, comment
sentiment, and algorithmic dissemination paths. Empirical findings reveal that platform architectures prioritize moral
outrage and identity markers, accelerating ideological polarization while eroding cross-ideological consensus. The analysis
demonstrates that peer-driven lifestyle influencers hold greater authority in shaping youth values than traditional
institutional sources. Reassessing legacy media effects, the paper demonstrates how profit-driven corporate incentives merge
with grassroots participation to alter traditional value-transmission pathways. The discussion addresses the paradox of
democratic self-expression coexisting with risks of manufactured consent, alongside limitations regarding the ephemeral
nature of internet trends and global infrastructural divides. Finally, practical recommendations emphasize enhanced media
literacy, transparent regulatory frameworks, and ethical platform design. The study concludes by outlining future research
directions concerning generative artificial intelligence and the long-term cognitive impacts of hyper-accelerated micro-trend
consumption in modern digital societies.
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Published
01-09-2026