Because for me it was around 12 (I'm 19). Before that I just played video games (not that many though) and watched cartoons. I feel bad because I don't remember what I was doing while major events like 9/11 and Y2K were happening. And so many other people say they remembered it when they were my age. Also, on Youtube I see comments on music videos about how people remember a song when they were a little kid, and the song isn't even a kid-friendly song. (I only remember the popular kid friendly hit songs). I don't even know what was the equivalent of Facebook or iPhones back then (I think there was something called a pager to text people). I know I sound young, but this applies to everyone when I say what age did you become aware of pop culture. I want to know because I think I became aware too late. I hope this isn't the case.

Because for me it was around 12 (I'm 19). Before that I just played video games (not that many though) and watched cartoons. I feel bad because I don't remember what I was doing while major events like 9/11 and Y2K were happening. And so many other people say they remembered it when they were my age. Also, on Youtube I see comments on music videos about how people remember a song when they were a little kid, and the song isn't even a kid-friendly song. (I only remember the popular kid friendly hit songs). I don't even know what was the equivalent of Facebook or iPhones back then (I think there was something called a pager to text people). I know I sound young, but this applies to everyone when I say what age did you become aware of pop culture. I want to know because I think I became aware too late. I hope this isn't the case.


It sounds to me like you were a normal kid. 

I think I started to be "aware" of it at age 4 or 5 (1985, as I knew about things in the news, what was going on music-wise, and a few films that were out that year, altho I didn't really see any of 'em until later)....

I think I started to be "aware" of it at age 4 or 5 (1985, as I knew about things in the news, what was going on music-wise, and a few films that were out that year, altho I didn't really see any of 'em until later)....


Same. I'm 20 and the first big news story that I can recall being "aware" of was the Atlanta Olympics bombing in 1996. It was roughly around the same period that I can remember starting to listen to some of the radio hits and going to some movies.

My understanding of pop culture didn't really improve dramatically until after I was 7/8 though.

You're only 3 years younger than me and you're making me feel like a dinosaur!  ;D

I'd say I became aware of pop culture in a broad sense by the time I was 9. But as far as kid's stuff and select things, I was aware as early as age 4. I was born in 1990 and I remember Saved by the Bell when it was still a fairly new show, as well as Space Jam, Men in Black, Jurassic Park, and so on. I didn't really follow music until 1999 though, my love of music was a late blooming thing. I had no idea what grunge was and only a vague idea of what rap was in the 90s, but I still remember the biggest songs like the Macarena.

I'd say it's a gradual thing that starts as soon as you begin retaining memories and becomes full-blown by your pre-teens.

I don't even know what was the equivalent of Facebook or iPhones back then (I think there was something called a pager to text people).


There really was no equivalent to either of those things in the 90's. In the later 90's, email and personal webpages were basically it. Well, you also had chat rooms and instant message programs, but nothing that really compared to a modern social networking site. The first thing I can think of that was somewhat close was Friendster, I believe that debuted in 1999 but it was never really that popular. Myspace was the first Facebook-like thing and that became popular around 2004/05 before Facebook killed it a few years later.

Cell phones were somewhat common in the 90s but pagers were probably more common, because they were cheaper. By the late 90s you even had cell phones with Internet access but they were, I'd imagine very expensive and not that great quality in terms of connection. Nothing like an iphone or ipad. Most cell phones in the 90s made calls and that was it, even text messaging didn't take off as a popular thing to do until the early to mid 00s.

http://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=text+messaging&year_start=1990&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=

I'd say the equivalent of social networking and texting was instant messaging on AIM...that was a staple of everyone's social lives when I was in junior high in the early-mid 00s. Even before that in like 4th grade I used to have an AOL account that I'd chat with my friends and classmates on. Around 2008 is when I noticed a dramatic decrease in the number of people still using it.

To answer the original question...I'd honestly say it varies by person. Some people never get into it. I'm not huge into current music. Never have been.

To answer the original question...I'd honestly say it varies by person.


That's it. The author was asking about becoming 'aware' of pop culture. I think I did it around 1991 when I was 5. It's not a bad thing to have an 8-year-older sister so you are directly confronted with teen culture from your early childhood on, including music. I remember a lot 1991-1994 songs.

To answer the original question...I'd honestly say it varies by person.

Yes, it's very subjective.

When I was young, my earliest memories of key events are Expo 1967 in Montreal, our country's 100th birthday (1967), RFK's assasination (1968) and Neil Armstrong walking on the moon (1969). Like lots of boys my age at the time, I was really into the space program and watched other rocket missions on TV before and after July 20th, 1969.
But was I aware of just just events or the pop culture surrounding them? I think it's the former.
When the Beatles broke up, I had no idea what that meant, but I liked their music. When people gathered at Woodstock, I figured they were just going to a concert, like I did in 1969 with my elementary school when we saw a Beethoven concert. I had no idea of the significance of Woodstock at the time.

I think being aware of the pop culture happens at a later age, I'd say 10 or 12 years old is my guess.

For me it was around the mid '90s including things like the OJ Simpson trial, I was around 9-11 during that time, by '99 I was very aware of the pop culture of the times(like teen pop, latin pop, and nu metal), of course by the end of the nineties I was already a teenager.

When I was a baby, I kept a diary.
Recently, I was rereading it.
It said, "Day 1 -- Still tired from the move. Day 2 -- Everybody talks to me like I'm an idiot."

- Steven Wright.

I was aware of it at very young age, I would say as young as 4 or 5. My parents were only their 20s then(very young), they were really into the pop culture of the time. I would watch whatever my parents would(except horror films, of course) or listen to anything they would listen to, such as music. They would listen to what was current at the time and I did as well. I was fuuun! And I have many good memories. So yes, I would say for me it was from the age of 4 and on.

I had older sisters & a brother who introduced me to pop culture. I remember one time when I was about 5, 6 or 7, one of my sisters went on a trip with some friends and brought me back a gift. What was it? An inflatable doll of Ringo. Because of that doll, I learn the name of one of the Beatles. At the time, I still didn't know the other 3.

I wish I still had that doll. Do you know how much that would be worth today?  :o :o :o



Cat

Because for me it was around 12 (I'm 19). Before that I just played video games (not that many though) and watched cartoons. I feel bad because I don't remember what I was doing while major events like 9/11 and Y2K were happening.


In addition to my other post:

That's probably the 'problem' if you don't have (much) older siblings that influence you.

In my opinion, I\'m not sure if it\'s normal to know nothing until 12 (although it can depend on conditions such as how you grew up). But video games can be considered pop culture too, just like television shows. I remember 1993 probably for the start of pop culture and I turned 4 that year.

I\'m not sure if it\'s normal to know nothing until 12 


I am pretty sure it wouldn't be normal.

'Living' pop culture however is a different story.