Pop culture, in my opinion is a fluid force in our society due largely to the fact that we continually modify our standards of acceptable content and levels of interest relating to certain topics. In essence, it is the tangible, collective soul of our youth that, while ever-changing, can be preserved for posterity. For example, let's take a look at the "90's". This was a particularly interesting time for pop culture because we see a focus on building positive social foundations from sitcoms (F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Family Matters, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, etc.) mixed with wacky, almost inappropriate Saturday morning cartoons (The Ren and Stimpy Show, Rocko's Modern Life, Animaniacs, Etc). If you closely observe a "90's baby", more often than not you will begin to notice a variety of striking similarities between their mannerisms/behavior and those of their favorite characters as a child. This example applies to just about any person who grew up surrounded by pop culture. It can shape who we are and by extension, our society as a whole. In turn, the society influenced by the pop culture of the decade they grew up in will carry that influence to the next generation when they contribute to the pop culture of their own decade. It's an inescapable entity because it is simply a tangible version of who we are and what we like. Some parts ( Promiscuity, drug use, idiocy) are a burden to our society making progress while others (Campaigns to stop smoking, anti bullying, open mindedness) are unquestionably a boon.