Why is Access to folk and Popular Culture Unequal? Chapter 4 Key Issue 3 Why is Access to folk and Popular Culture Unequal?

Big Question What affect have TV, the internet, and social media had on folk and popular culture? Describe how these three forms of electronic media have diffused around the world. Why do some countries restrict citizens access to electronic media? What are some ways in which they do this?

Key Terms 

Diffusion of TV and Internet Electronic media is one of the main reasons why popular culture diffuses so rapidly throughout the world It increases access to pop culture for those who embrace folk culture and exposes those who embrace pop culture to those who don’t Lack of access to electronic media, primarily because of income, is a major barrier to pop culture access

Diffusion of TV and Internet The world’s most important electronic media has been TV TV has exposed billions worldwide to pop and folk culture traditions Watching TV is a major pop culture leisure activity and has helped to rapidly diffuse other activities such as sports

Diffusion of TV and Internet TV became mainstream pop culture in the U.S. during the early 1950s, also appearing in Canada and the U.K. By the 1970s, TV had diffused to Europe and by the early 2000s had diffused worldwide (81% of homes worldwide had a TV in 2014)

Diffusion of TV and Internet The diffusion of the internet follows the same pattern as TV but at a much more rapid pace In 1995, only a few countries had internet service and the U.S. had 63% of the world users Between 1995-2015, the internet diffused quickly around the world, up to 81% in the U.S. and 47% worldwide

Diffusion of Social Media Social media diffusion is similar to that of TV and the internet Social media that originates in the U.S. (such as Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat) have and will continue to diffuse throughout the rest of the world Facebook currently has 2.1 billion users worldwide, led by India, the United States, Brazil, and Indonesia. Notably absent is China, where their government has banned Facebook and uses QZone instead

Diffusion of Social Media Twitter has far fewer users than Facebook (330 million, with the U.S. leading the world in users. India however is the second leading Twitter country The diffusion of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. to developing countries as well as developed show that the diffusion has changed from the traditional idea of going to rich developed countries first.

Challenges in Accessing Electronic Media In the U.S. we enjoy a lot of freedom when it comes to the internet and cell phones Many countries aren’t as lucky as their governments ban or restrict access to certain sites and apps Countries do this to keep citizens from obtaining information that could endanger those who hold power

Challenges in Accessing Electronic Media Out of 65 countries measured by the organization Freedom on the Net, only 30% of them were classified as having complete freedom on the internet The other 70% were labeled as being “partly free” or “not free” where these countries had either technology banned, content blocked, or internet user’s rights violated

Challenges in Accessing Electronic Media Banned Technology One way to keep citizens from the internet is to prohibit them from purchasing the technology needed to access it Some countries ban phones, tablets, or laptops or configure internet signals differently, so the devices don’t work properly

Challenges in Accessing Electronic Media Blocked Content Some websites are censored or blocked This is a long-standing practice that began with blocking TV shows from certain countries This is done so that certain ideas that might damage traditional folk culture don’t make their way to the people (ex. Political content that might damage the rulers, inappropriate social content, or content about conflicts or rebellions)

Challenges in Accessing Electronic Media Violated User Rights Governments are finding it harder to stop the diffusion of technology Some countries have resorted to punishing those who get around the rules and access prohibited content Harassment, heavy fines, imprisonment, or even physical violence are used to stop the violators The five worst countries for this behavior are Iran, Syria, China, Russia, and Turkey

Big Question & Key Terms What affect have TV, the internet, and social media had on folk and popular culture? Describe how these three forms of electronic media have diffused around the world. Why do some countries restrict citizens access to electronic media? What are some ways in which they do this? 