The effects of popular culture towards university youth: The case of Manisa Celal Bayar University

Popular culture has the opportunity to spread at the global level in the age of communication and transforms the cultural values of societies. In our country, especially since the 1980s, with the effect of political, economic and technological transformations, popular culture has encompassed every aspect of our life. The effects of this entertainment and consumption-oriented culture are especially intense on the youth. The purpose of this research is to reveal the effects of popular culture on university youth. In accordance with this purpose, a questionnaire was applied to a total of 400 students, studying at different faculties at Manisa Celal Bayar University, within the framework of quantitative research. The effects of popular culture on students were revealed by examining their consumption habits, leisure activities, value judgments and attitudes. The fact that there are not many studies in the literature about the effects of popular culture on youth, shows the importance of this study. According to the findings, it has been concluded that popular culture values are highly adopted by the young people and that young people are affected by the consumerist culture presented through the media.