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Popular Culture

Popular culture, such as films, books, games, articles, or viral media, reflects how people think about technology, society, identity, and the future. As a creative technologist, these sources can help you explore cultural expectations, provoke design ideas, or frame your concept in a larger narrative.

Analyzing popular culture is not just about referencing what is cool. It is about understanding the messages, metaphors, and values embedded in stories and how they shape how people relate to technology or change.

Starting Point

  • Choose a cultural source that relates to your project theme. For example: science fiction about artificial intelligence, articles about surveillance tech, or games that explore digital identity.
  • Ask analytical questions like:
  • What view of technology is shown here? Is it hopeful, dystopian, invisible?
  • What roles do humans and systems play?
  • What problems or dreams are imagined?
  • Find Media analysis frameworks from humanities (e.g. narrative roles, visual metaphors, symbolism)

Key Points

  • Be selective. Do not just name a film or book. Explain what idea, value, or critique you are drawing from it.
  • Use popular culture to question assumptions. If people fear AI because of movies, how does your project respond to that?
  • Combine your analysis with user research. Do people relate to similar stories or metaphors?
  • Include your findings in your design documentation or reflection. It shows cultural awareness and critical thinking.