The music, movies, TV shows, and other media that the majority of people consume are known collectively as pop culture. In the 1970s, pop culture included disco music and Star Wars. Today, pop culture embraces true crime podcasts, memes, and...Star Wars.
Pop culture, first used around 1958, is short for the older phrase popular culture, coined in the mid-1800s. Originally a term used by sociologists for the customs and traditions of people in general, it shifted to mean superficial entertainment, in contrast to more “serious” art. But just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s not meaningful! Generally, whatever you and your friends like to watch, read, listen to, and talk about is part of today’s pop culture.