Do memes make the internet a better place?
Do Memes Make the Internet a Better Place?
(I don't pretend to be a meme lord or know much about memes, much of this could be applied to internet comedy in general)
100% yes. Or, on second thought, about 90% yes. With really anything on the internet, no matter how positive something tries to be there is always going to be something negative about it. For example, you might see a very high quality video, non controversial topics, very education, etc, but there are always some dislikes. Especially with memes, there are probably millions of them out there with thousands of people making them - of course there are going to be some negative memes that negatively affect some people. More than that, memes are just a stimulus that could make some people laugh out loud and their day will be brightened because of it. However, a different person could look at it and frown.
Mostly, memes are just funny things to laugh at. Not just that, but they are interestingly, maybe even embarrassingly, informative. A lot of huge news like the new covid variant, big political updates, famous deaths, disasters, etc, I have learned about because of memes. Somewhat recently, one meme mentioned Tom Brady retiring, one meme mentioned the covid case spike, one mentioned nft news, one mentioned stock news, and much much more. Now, from this you might think that memes are useless since you can instead just look at news and not memes, which is very true. One, who goes to the news with optimism and the expectation of getting a laugh? Two, and this may be a stretch, but the news that actually affects people the most are more likely to be turned into memes. Also, there’s always things that aren’t on the front page of news that still affect people on the internet, and those people might make memes about them.
Probably the most obvious argument for memes is enjoyment. Sometimes, there’s nothing better than finding a great meme that actually makes you laugh. According to WebMD, laughing might actually improve blood pressure, immunization, sleep, and blood sugar. There’s so many types of memes out there, some dank, some wholesome, relatable, and more. Lots of things that cause lots of stress in people like school, money, politics, news, etc. are put into a better lenses with memes. Instead of worrying about politics, one can just laugh at some iconic Bernie Sanders memes. Of course, politics are still important, but it’s nice to laugh at it instead of worrying about it.
Recently on the internet, there seems to be much more mental health awareness, and there are a lot of memes about it that are unironically positive that are very popular. According to PsyPost, people experiencing mental health problems and or depression were more attracted to memes with mental health themes, and found them relatable and humorous instead of feeling negative, which some might believe is the case. The article isn’t really needed to back this up, most people can think of a negative thing that they have experienced that they could laugh at through memes. Quarantine is a great example of this; there have been many memes about online school, toilet paper, masks, and more that let people laugh at negative things happening now.
To be fair, there are potential negatives as well like procrastinating and wasting time, which is probably the biggest and most prominent one. Also, there are definitely memes that go too far and make jokes that shouldn’t be made. Whether these memes actually have effects on people I have no idea, but I doubt that they outweigh the positives of memes. The internet would be a dark place without memes.
Frank
Hey hey Frank!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your perspective about how memes can help people laugh, learn, and connect with others. I also agree that some memes are harmful, and I think it all depends on the creator and viewer's perspectives. For example, someone might make a meme saying that mint chocolate chip ice cream is horrific, and a viewer might take offense to that (obviously that's a mild example, but I hope it gets my point across). Memes have definitely helped me learn of major events like you said, and I can also send them to people to laugh together or comment on something said in the meme. Memes can be a double-edged sword, but they're usually on the positive side for me.
Ellix
I also agree with your perspective of memes. This world would be really boring without memes. They are supposed to connect people, but I like how you also acknowledge the negatives of memes too. Realistically, any meme can offend someone in some way. However, memes have been able to shine a light of positivity during hard times. Like one the reasons I did not consider covid to be a bad as it currently is was from looking at the many funny covid memes across the interent (don't cancel me for that comment). It gave me something to laugh at while quarantined. Even though memes have their positives and negatives, they are things that make the world a better place.
ReplyDeleteTim
I agree that without memes, the internet wouldn't be as lighthearted as it can be. There are definitely negatives to memes, but the positives outweight the negatives in my opinion. Memes can provide small bits of joy through hard times in your life.
ReplyDelete-Rohail
Hi Frank,
ReplyDeleteI think memes, besides comedy, also serve as a form of communication. It connects people while also conveying information. Although there are definitely negatives to memes, they mainly serve as a way to get a laugh and make the internet much more light. Overall an interesting blog post and interesting memes.
- Bruce
What's poppin g
ReplyDeleteYeah memes have become the central part of 21st century humor. Pretty much any funny image can be a meme, and I think that the endless possibilities make it a pretty good creative outlet. There are definitely negative aspects to meme culture, but overall I agree that memes help sugarcoat the darker parts of the internet to make it a sweeter place.
Joshe