Do Memes Connect People?
It sounds pretty silly to be looking at memes as a beneficial and emotionally uplifting piece of modern society. For a lot of people who log into their social media accounts "memes" are around every single corner, it is hard to escape them. As defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary—a meme is “an amusing or interesting item (such as a captioned picture or video) or genre of items that is spread widely online especially through social media". Sometimes they are viral photos or trending TV shows that ignite individuals to share these memes. The intention seems pretty obvious, they are hilarious, distracting, and relatable. What better source of entertainment? Although could they be connecting people on a deeper level than just a good laugh?
Memes can help us not feel so different or unlike others. Memes connect people through shared interests. That can be through the same humor or the topic of discussion in the meme. For people who feel lonely inside or detached from society in ways, it brings a sense of belonging. It is as if a person feels like they are in a group and it gives them something to be a part of. Sharing a mutual laugh is one of the best feelings and takes the mind of everyday life struggles. It seems so simple but it impacts people whenever they check their cell phones.
Memes can reflect peoples opinions and persuade others to think a certain way even. Memes sometimes capture how society is in that current time period and documents peoples emotions towards certain topics. It all comes down to being an easy form of communication. Sometimes during the roughest points of the world, people can come together through a simple meme and use humor as a coping mechanism for hardship.
During COVID-19 many people have resorted to creating memes surrounding this pandemic. The memes range from toilet paper hoarding to hand sanitizer jokes. Although this time has been especially tough for the entire world, somehow through connection on the internet we can spread some comedy. Sometimes they bring the most real feelings to light that we all feel inside but would never really say out loud. It can feel relieving to hear our thoughts, habits, or emotions depicted in a photo with a hilarious caption. It lets us know we are not the only people feeling this way.
With this being said, below are some lighthearted counseling memes to spread some smiles on individuals reading:
