Free Flow

Popular culture has changed over the decades. Television shows, music and different trends have come and gone. Not only has the media itself changed, but the mechanisms that deliver this media have also changed. With this transition, trends are short-lasting and the pop culture experience is less of a group experience and more of an individual one. But does this change necessarily mean pop culture is getting worse? Can modern pop culture have a negative effect on the population? My answer is no. More than ever, the population is able to connect to trends faster through social media. Of course, we have people like Malcolm Gladwell who believe social media doesn't have any profound impact on meaningful causes. According to him,  it only motivates people enough “to do the things that people do when they are not motivated enough to make a real sacrifice ,” ( Gladwell, 2010 ). Although Twitter may not be the best way to gather the population for physical, in-person activism, it still d

I would be lying if I said I remembered the first book I ever learned to read. Even if I said I remembered the first time I tried writing, I wouldn't be telling you my honest truth. I will tell you what I do remember though: During my first year in school (pre-k), we were instructed to choose a book and read it in front of the class, so I chose my medium-sized hardcover The Tale of Peter Rabbit  book. My mom helped me read and practice it daily for a week or two. I read very short children's books before this, but this was my first memory of actually learning to read. Way before pre-k, I attended a day care during the summer, where I learned how to speak English. I was born in the US, but my first language was Gujarati because that is what my mom was speaking around me. She was also very good at speaking English, so I was able to grasp the language very easily once I started learning around 3-4 years old. My mom has always inspired me from a young age because she came from a di