The Relationship Between Memes and Social Change

We use memes today in a stunning variety of circumstances.

They help us connect and feel like we belong, can serve as conversation starters and can even help you smooth over a conflict or make a point.

Memes also help us unwind, as we browse and procrastinate to distract ourselves from troubling news. They are a free form of entertainment, always an option even when you don’t have the time for more time consuming hobbies. Better yet, making them is simple enough that they penetrate into a wide variety of niche circles, being such perfect ‘bites’ of culture and humor that they mix together to create a viral piece of content.

However, memes can also influence the way we interact with others. Some parts of meme culture have led to ripples in the our social fields beyond the web. Every meme after all, has a creator behind it with an intention for posting a viral message, whether for entertainment or convincing.

How do memes influence society? And on the flip side, how do social changes impact the evolution of memes? Let’s talk about it a bit.

· Memes Cover Various Mediums and Genres

As meme culture grows more pervasive, it also becomes more complex. Prior to the internet, memes developed from poems, catchphrases, and cartoons. Today, memes reference various parts of culture, and they come in many different mediums.

The first internet memes were shared in text or image form. One of the first internet memes was the Dancing Baby meme, which spread by email in the mid-nineties.

But images and texts are no longer the only option. Video memes have a particularly wide appeal. Remixed song memes, deep fried images all the way to Fortnite dancing in public.

· They’re Easy to Get Into

Every meme mirrors a particular cultural context and are generally based on some knowledge or opinion about the world. Some memes develop as a response to books, music albums, or cultural events such as the Oscars. Existing memes can also be a solid basis for making new memes.

That being said, a beautiful thing is that there is no preliminary requirement for creating a viral meme. Anyone can become a meme creator with a few clicks of a button, which is why this hobby is very popular among teenagers, to millennial’s alike.

You also don’t need any specialized technical knowledge to participate in meme culture. A simple image editor or video app is all you need to make a meme. Unlike many other creative fields, meme creation generally has no expenses.

· Dark Humor Helps with Processing Stressful Situations

While most memes contain some degree of surreality, they frequently address real-life situations.

Relationship problems, parent-child conflicts, and poverty are popular meme themes. There are also memes that describe the stress of high school and academia, as well as memes about workplace exhaustion. Meme culture also takes on anxieties about the state of the world. They give people an easy way to talk about shocking events.

Memes can be an effective coping tool. They give us a way to express difficult thoughts. There is a community element as well. Sharing memes can give people the sense that they’re not alone in their struggles.

At the same time, there might be a downside to this use of memes. Becoming indifferent to these problems is a possibility. In some cases, memes replace meaningful conversations that could lead to a solution.

Memes as a Tool for Forming Social Connections

Memes provide a way for people to connect with each other. Knowing the right memes can help you become part of a group. They give groups a sense of cohesion.

Since today’s memes are based on social media, they are also a good way to gain influence online. Creating and reblogging popular memes is a way for people to get more followers, and of course these social connections can be leveraged in both positive and negative ways.

Here are some of memes impacting the development and visibility of online social groups.

· People of Color Have a Huge Impact on Meme Culture

Why was Vine such an important part of developing today’s explosive meme culture?

It popularized the idea of a ‘video meme’ and showed that it’s possible for them to take off outside of YouTube. Additionally, the 6-second time frame gave creators a worthwhile artistic challenge.

But Vine also made it possible for teens and young adults of color to establish an online presence. In particular, it was an extremely influential platform among African American teenagers.

There are many other subcultures within the meme culture that were built and popularized by people of color. For example, bilingual memes are popular among people raised in immigrant communities.

· The Role of Memes in Challenging Damaging Narratives

Apart from providing visibility, how do memes benefit people of color and other minority groups?

Despite the cultural influence of people of color on meme culture, racist memes are still widespread. Sexist and homophobic memes can spread easily too. However, the remix-heavy nature of these meme lets people challenge this on their own terms.

For example, women and teenage girls of color are frequently mocked via memes. But many of these women participate in meme culture, so they create memes that take on these stereotypes and challenge them. These statements can bond and act as rallying points for positivity, and these wholesome memes are a trend only getting more popular over time.

Meme culture also gives people an opportunity to discuss damaging societal trends or events. Using a meme can be a way to draw attention to a particular issue. For example, the Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad meme challenged a particular advertisement as well as the media trends it reflected.

· But Memes Can Be Damaging Too

At the same time, it’s important to consider that memes can be used for harassment as well as for furthering hate speech and disinformation about various social groups.

One example of harassment via memes is the recent Millie Bobby Brown meme. While the meme was supposed to be ironic, it damaged the reputation of a young actress. There are many other examples of an ironic meme causing social harm.

Some memes are used to create a hostile environment. For instance, they can have a negative impact on campus culture. In instances like this, memes spark discussions about appropriate student conduct outside of the classroom.

· Memes Can Become Propaganda

Memes are becoming widely used in politics. What makes memes an effective propaganda tool?

Experts say that the simplicity of memes makes them an effective way of spreading political ideas. This is true for various ideologies and groups all across the political spectrum. Memes can be used to provide simple answers to complicated questions, ones that are more likely to be seen positively.

Additionally, memes cause an emotional reaction, especially when they employ shock humor. This is part of why they are particularly attractive to hate groups. Memes are frequently used to spread violent messages. Once again, the memes may be framed as ironic, but the damage they cause is real.

· Memes Encourage People to Form Cliques

The social cohesion provided by memes is another reason why they’re gaining a role in politics.

If you encounter a meme you don’t understand, it’s probably because you don’t belong to the group it addresses. Creating an appropriate meme can be a good way to establish your presence in a social group. Misusing a meme implies that you are an outsider.

It can also act as an opportunity to gain influence in the group you belong to. Interestingly, low-status people within a group tend to create and spread memes more effectively than higher-status group members. However, the memes in question have to reflect the values of the group.

So memes can easily reinforce beliefs and discourage critical thinking. Hence, they play a role in the polarization of online political discussion.

Interestingly, research shows that this polarization is more widespread offline than online. This implies that memes reflect existing social changes more than they create change.

· The Monetization of Memes Will Continue

While most participants in meme culture are doing it for free, some people benefit financially from creating and modifying memes. This trend is very likely to continue.

Advertisements are often presented in the format of a video meme post for e-commerce businesses, local businesses, brands and even media channels across social networks as a method to work best with the algorithms determining your content’s natural traction.

· Meme Copyright Questions Will Have to Become Clearer

Resolving copyright issues can be an answer to monetization issues too. Brands are currently able to use memes for profit while the original creator doesn’t benefit at all.

There is another reason why copyright issues are an important topic.

Some absurdist and non-political memes get hijacked for political gain. The Pepe the Frog meme is a famous example. This cartoon character was initially a stoner humor meme, but it became associated with racist hate speech along the way.

The original creator objected to this use and issued take-down notices to some of those who misused his meme. These legal conflicts are becoming more prevalent.

· We Will Start Thinking about Memes in Different Ways

Memes are becoming more politicized and they’re also getting widely used by corporations. So the meme culture has seen huge changes.

At the same time, people are becoming more aware of the ways that memes can get misused. We no longer consider memes to be harmless fun. For better or for worse, we’re becoming aware of their social and political influence.

A Final Word

Like many other aspects of online culture, memes are easily misunderstood by those who don’t use them regularly. Some believe them to be completely irrelevant. Others think that memes are dangerous and harmful to the way we communicate.

But the truth is that memes are a communication tool and they can be used for many different purposes. They can aid positive social changes, but they can also be used to harm others. It’s important to develop a realistic idea of the power of memes as a medium of communication now and in the future.