Can Pop Culture Make Us Better Human Beings?

From Star Trek to Friends, morality was a subtle part of everything on TV.

Growing up, TV time was rare, and a fight for the remote usually ensued between my mother and me. My mom wanted to watch her soaps on our local channels; I wanted Captain Planet, Centurions, and Star Trek. Occasionally my mom watched Star Trek too, which excited me—finally, something we could talk about together.

After a period of arguments, we reached an agreement: I could watch until 7:30, then the remote was hers. After 10 PM, I got another hour max before bed.

As this routine formed, I became invested in the shows I watched—especially Star Trek; The Next Generation, and Voyager. I was still in my teens and my grasp of English wasn't great. There were no subtitles back then, so understanding what was being said on screen became a desperate goal.

This was also when my mom and aunt were reading novels, primarily Sidney Sheldon. I showed curiosity, and they picked kid-friendly books for me, paying for a reading subscription that small booksellers offered. I got into reading mainly to see what they found so captivating.

Looking back, I'm grateful for so much about my childhood in this context. I read a lot of fiction to this day—almost 50-60 books a year in mixed formats of ebooks, graphic novels, and audiobooks. I still watch plenty of TV, and science fiction remains a favorite. I hold my mom and aunt responsible for opening these avenues for me as a kid. I cherish those moments, and I do my best to nurture these habits in people I meet, especially younger folks.

The Prime Directive and Morality

Coming back to Star Trek: a recurring theme was adherence to rules, especially the Prime Directive. For those unfamiliar, it basically boils down to "non-interference." Any action that could alter the natural development of an alien civilization is prohibited. My young, stupid brain wasn't intelligent enough to grasp the meaning, but I feel it influenced me anyway. The Federation, so powerful, kept itself out of the business of those weaker or different. Why was that important?

Morality was a concept I wasn't yet familiar with, but Star Trek had planted its seeds. There were villains who violated laws, wreaked havoc, did their own thing—but the good guys were always there to stop them. This presentation of who the good guys were and why is a guiding principle of almost every piece of culture: books, shows, games, movies. Which side do I resonate with while consuming this? Sometimes the villains aren't that black and white, and some good guys aren't good all the time.

One of my favorite Star Trek episodes is from Deep Space Nine: "In the Pale Moonlight." It offers a unique look at a good guy and how far he's willing to go for the greater good. It shows how he struggles with his choices and what the impact of success or failure will be. It makes you question the world around you and what it takes to bring change. Star Trek is usually never this ambiguous, and Captain Benjamin Sisko is always a good guy—except in this case, where he's suddenly both good and bad. Makes you wonder who else does this in real life.

Fiction's Influence on Reality

We often say that what happens in fiction doesn't mean people will do it in the real world. This is extremely true, but the counter is this: while we may not drive like maniacs after playing Need for Speed or try to cook meth after watching Breaking Bad, the lessons from those stories resonate with our personalities. As humans, we want to make choices that make us look good to others—part of our evolutionary drive to be included in the tribe.

Going alone means death.

In dialogue-driven games like Mass Effect, there are choices clearly labeled as good, neutral, and bad. More often than not, players pick the "good" choices because it conforms with the game's story where you're the hero. Could you imagine a hero who's an asshole to everyone they meet? Or a villain who's the nicest person ever? Our brains struggle with these dilemmas, so we choose the good side. In subtle ways, pop culture tells us what is good and what is bad.

Looking at myself today, I feel the books, games, shows, and movies I consumed in my teens really shaped me. I can recognize the actions of governments and corporations for what they are and choose to stand behind what I believe is right.

Where Do You Draw the Line?

You may ask yourself this as well: am I doing what I believe is right? Everyone has a different red line in the sand, and recently, the actions—or inaction—of people responsible for our well-being have led to that line being crossed for many. The courts of social media are ablaze with discussions: was the action of a lone individual fed up with a certain corporation morally right, even if it was against the law?

If people agree with a certain moral action, the law becomes secondary. Laws are not always just, and actions often have consequences that go unseen. I know what my moral stand is. Benjamin Sisko may have been an influence, but he only enabled me to think in more ways than just black and white.