Jarred Jermaine’s Facebook page has more than 2 million likes and 2 million followers. Many of his posts that drew traction are the pop culture posts you will find on this list.
So, what makes this type of content such a hit among people? Edge Digital managing director Jonathan Mason was kind enough to share his insights, based on more than 20 years of analyzing how social media attention, viral content, and online consumer behavior shape brand perception and engagement.
“Pop culture posts are appealing because they're instantly legible. You don't have to decode them or do much background thinking,” Mason told Bored Panda. “If it's a celebrity moment, a meme format, or a trending sound, most people already understand the reference or can pick it up in seconds by seeing it repeated across their feed.”
Mason adds that pop culture content has a strong social element that drives engagement through shared awareness. Not engaging in a conversation about a highly buzzed moment from a film or award show induces the dreaded FOMO.
“Liking, sharing, or even just viewing becomes a way of staying socially aligned,” Mason explained.
In many ways, social media has made celebrities more accessible to regular, non-famous people. Viral posts that talk about them, for example, can shape the common person’s perception of them. As Mason explains, this is why many celebrities become memes and gain a different kind of recognition.
“For celebrities, this leads to ‘meme identity, where one expression, quote, or clip starts to stand in for the whole person,” Mason said. “That can make public perception feel simplified or exaggerated because audiences are repeatedly exposed to the same fragment rather than the full picture.”
The way pop culture content influences people’s perceptions of celebrities can leave many feeling misled. Mason says one way to prevent this is to recognize that most viral content is designed for reaction rather than understanding.
“One practical step is to trace content back to its origin when it matters,” he said. “If something feels significant or controversial, looking for the full interview, post, or event helps reset the context that may have been removed in reposts.”
