Popular Culture

"Popular culture studies is the academic discipline studying popular culture [a.k.a. pop culture] from a critical theory perspective. It is generally considered as a combination of communication studies and cultural studies. ... Conceptual barriers between so-called high and low culture have broken down, accompanying an explosion in scholarly interest in popular culture, which encompasses such diverse media as comic books, television, and the Internet."

-Wikipedia entry on Popular Culture Studies

Here is a sample of relevant subject headings for the OPAC:

• Popular culture
• Characters & characteristics in motion pictures
• Comic books, strips, etc.
• Cosplay
• Fans (Persons)
• Interactive multimedia
• Motion picture audiences
• Motion pictures - Social aspects
• Popular culture - Korea (South)
• Social media
• Technological innovations - Social aspects
• Television series
• Video games
• Video gamers

You may get more results if you search the subjects as phrases.

Keywords and Phrases:

• fandom
• memes
• "transformative culture"
• "mass media"
• "cultural studies"
• fanfiction or "fan fiction" or "fan-fiction"
• k-pop

Many of these headings and keywords are used by other research databases.

If you are having trouble finding good quality sources on a specific trend, web site, or video game, research its history.

Although it may seem as if they pop out of nowhere, all ideas have a past. Find its roots. Put it into context.

• Research the creators or developers - what other content have they made? Is it in the same genre?
• For disruptive ideas, research the industry it is transforming.
• Has someone borrowed a concept or process from another industry or culture? Look into its original context.

Here are are some sources:

How to Use Wikipedia