Coping through memes and calling out brands.
If I stop laughing, I’ll start crying.
As someone who grew up with social media, I’ve learnt that no matter how serious the subject matter, you could always find a joke about it on the Internet. For instance, World War III memes on both Twitter and TikTok showed just how my generation reacted to potential life-changing news.
For most of today’s youths, the future is uncertain and bleak due to reasons ranging from economic inequality to climate-caused extinction. Some jokes have been made in poor taste but the never-ending deluge of bad-news memes constantly shared online only proves the extent of the mental comfort it brings to users.
Holding brands accountable.
That doesn’t mean that my generation only focuses on making jokes though. The Q3 Sprout Social Index found that millennials were most likely to call out brands on social media, being 40% more likely to do so than other generations. Social media gives consumers the power to create more accountability for brands, from uncovering unfair treatment to amplifying issues.
With the invasion in Ukraine, many large businesses are being heavily scrutinised on their stance in the war.
Are they still operating in Russia?
Has this business donated money to Ukrainian refugees?
In protest of the war, an increasing number of Western brands have suspended operation in Russia but a few are staying put. For instance, Nestle stated that they are fully complying with all international sanctions on Russia but are focusing on providing essentials such as infant food and medical and hospital nutrition.
However, this was not met without backlash. Ukraine’s President criticised this move, leading to #BoycottNestle trending on Twitter.
With the President arguing on how Nestle’s decision to stay will result in them paying taxes to Russia, he forgets that the people of Russia shouldn’t be punished for the actions of their government.
Multiple rallies have taken place across Russia since the invasion, resulting in more than 10,000 people being detained at anti-war protests across Russia. If Nestle were to pull out and stop selling their products, it would only give the Russian government more power over their people.
The lack of essentials would result in desperation and might lead to submission to authority.
Does that mean that every brand should publicly voice out their stance?
Simply put, brands are now responsible for helping the society in which they exist. However, nobody can fight for everything and there’s also the case of never being able to satisfy everybody.
In this age, if someone were to state they were supporting breast cancer awareness, they might receive a negative remark on how they should focus on raising awareness for the lesser known cancers instead.
While there are valid complaints, it’s difficult to expect every business to fight for what you believe in.
For instance, Forager Project is an organic Californian plant-based creamery. With selling products ranging from probiotic yogurt drinks to cereals using real, whole foods, they also focus on protecting the environment while providing a healthier, tastier, smarter choice for all people.
Only operating in the United States and Canada, would they be expected to voice out their stance on the Ukrainian invasion?
Their social media accounts have not issued any statements regarding this issue. In my opinion, it may be due to the fact that they do not want to seem halfhearted about it.
When you think about half of the companies that have released statements on the war and how ingenuine they seem on the matter, doesn’t that frustrate you?
If you were to use your platform to help with the humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine, you shouldn’t do it so casually because that’s just disrespectful.
