by Ema Ursic
After our visit to Iso Omena, where I learned it actually means Big Apple I was walking in Turku trying to find something and seeing the Manhattan name on the map. I had this sudden realisation just how much we are following the western pop culture. Personally I do not feel there is anything wrong with people globalising their ideas, it’s the idea that only one country is predominantly responsible for how our culture behaves is what I find uninspiring, centralistic and maybe even ignorant.
Human beings are sociable creatures. Searching for belonging. How we interact is essential in creating collectiveness.
As humans have evolved through time they have replaced simple means of tribal belonging to more complex ones. To change is human. People find new ways to belong. At the moment pop culture is the new togetherness. Geography is no longer the key part in collectiveness. We are globally connected by social media that is delivering us constant stimulation and entertainment. People are becoming detached from reality. In a lot of ways social media and shopping malls are quite similar. Shopping malls have it all, it almost feels like a virtual reality with overstimulation of our senses. It is designed for people to spend a lot of time in it, to get lost. Way too many things to do. Always something. Constant information and advertisement. There is always another possibility of clothing, entertainment, food etc. Everything you could possibly imagine all in one. Social media detaches us purely mentally while shopping malls quite literally close us in a box.
