In this fast moving media heavy culture, social media is always promoting and bringing new trends to our attention. We use these apps and communication tools as a way to stay up to date on the newest popular culture. Recently memes have become so popular that people claim that tagging their friends is a form of their main communication. Although they have been around for quite some time they seem to have become increasingly popular lately. Different categories of memes enable us to all find one that we have interest in, and share it with the people around us. 
I feel like people like memes because most of them are funny anecdotes that are similar to real life struggles and conversations we have, and making a meme out of it allows us to smile or laugh a real life situations that maybe distressing to us. Personally I love when I see someone tagged me in something because it means they were thinking of our friendship. It almost seems like a form of social currency we exchange. Similar to likes, shares and comments, we feel a higher sense of self esteem when someone tags us. Kermit inner "me" memes have become so popular, mostly in part that they make light of guilty pleasures or bad habits we all succumb to. They give a sense of online "community" even though they are a very detached way of communicating. Ironically, some times people don't even have any type of conversation, they tag someone simply so that person can see and form an opinion on the same picture.
Memes have had a huge part in the American election, going along with the fact that social media has had an affect on this election like never before. Many have used them to make light of what is an extremely distressing outcome for many. Memes with VP Joe Biden "pranking" Trump have become so widespread and it's interesting to see how social media in general has encouraged or controlled public opinion. There is a movement online lead by Politician Jill Stein, an independent to call for a recount. This is garnering most of its momentum online, weather or not it is effective is something to consider.
Thoughts on my opinions? What are your thoughts/likes and dislikes of memes?
This was good for a laugh, but also some provoking thoughts! As discussed in class- we joke about the world becoming one of memes, and Donald Trump becoming the first "meme" president. There seems to be no website/app you can scroll through without stumbling across a meme or 19. The thing that gets me about them is that they seem to come out of nowhere and blow up so quickly. I wonder how exactly a meme catches on (the "inner me" memes come to mind in particular... where did they come from?!").
ReplyDeleteMy personal view on them is positive- they are funny, and often relevant (i.e. Joe Biden memes as he leaves the White House). The do, sometimes get over done, though. That is the hard part. Where do we draw the line? What does the relevance expire? I can safely say I still see some of the same memes pop up that were from years ago when "memeing" began. I'd be interested to hear more about your thoughts on when they should give it up!
This was a really great post. I think you made some really good points about memes and how they have become a kind of "social currency we exchange". I know me and my friends often times will have whole conversations sending memes back and forth to each other rather then texting. The memes that me and my friends often share are the one about the struggles of university and becoming an adult. This is a genre of memes that a lot of people in their early 20s share because manny of us are experiencing the same difficulties and when we share these memes we are telling others that they are not alone. In this way i think that memes do work to create a sort of community in that it brings people together to laugh about common struggles.
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ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this blog post because it’s something that I’m constantly exposed to through social media (primarily Instagram and Facebook). Memes are a form of entertainment in the sense that they are spontaneous, can blow up and become viral, and often are paired with clever captions. As a communications student, I’ve considered memes to be flashbacks on cultural identities that have shifted over time. The Arthur memes have become an internet sensation, it started off with one picture from the childhood TV show, and escalated to the point of drawing in other characters like DW. I personally really enjoyed these memes (along with the Kermit the frog ones) because it reminds me of my childhood, and the perspectives I had regarding the cartoon shows in contrast to my more adult perspective. I also enjoy the engagement in meme culture, anyone is allowed to participate in the movement. Meme's add humour and a lighter attitude to the struggles of university, and who doesn't love that?