Memes in the 21st Century
Throughout history there has always been various forms of entertainment, the most iconic of which may very well be theatrical performance, composed by Shakespeare and the like. But like all things, entertainment too evolved with the world of technology.
In the 21st century the new rage is that of ‘Memes’. Similarly to theatrical performances, memes are meant to be shared and presented to a large audience, they both are unique int he sense that they are able to ‘move’ the audience in such a way that I can relate to their own lives. The biggest difference between the two is that the share and spread-ability of memes are far greater than that of theater performances.
However the greatest and most important similarity between the two is that memes and theater performances have a much larger range in regards to their categorization then other forms of entertainment. They can make you feel great, or put you in the dumps, they can also make you feel confused, and often they can do all in the same act or image.
Returning back to difference in regards to spread-ability, memes are simply able to reach a larger audience, and so (currently) has a more universal presence then any theatrical performance. We have all heard of Romeo And Juliet, yes that may be true, but have we all seen the play in live action, likely not. However, we have all seen our fair share, maybe even more then we would like, of cat images.
Memes allow us to express ourselves, not just the self that we would normally present to others, but also the self that we would normally like to keep within and well, to ourselves. An example that has seen an uptake is that of our biggest failures, twitter is a gold mine for self deprecation memes and the likes. Unfortunately many men and women are able to relate to this area (the dating field) and so these self deprecation memes build a community of those who are unsuccessful with dating. A similar thing can happen with those who are homosexual, depressed, transsexual, and even more areas that I know nothing about.
The power that this form of entertainment, memes, have is unprecedented. Usually you would have to reach out to a counselor or maybe something similar to AA, in order to find people willingly able to talk about their struggles, but due to memes, you can rather easily find and make contact with those going through similar issues as yourself.
At the time of writing, an event the global pandemic that is COVID-19 has a foothold in our society. There is a saying that goes: “Sometimes the best medicine is humility”, meaning memes might just be our greatest ally in fighting this battle. So in typical Digital Sociology fashion, my class was tasked with creating memes about the Corona Virus; Class Meme Creation.
Memes allow for an individual to become more than that, they are able to find others who are going through what they are experiencing, the no longer have to be alone. It helps combat the sense of loneliness we may feel when we realize that people around the world are going through what I am going through. Memes allow us to have discussion about things we otherwise would not have discussion about. They can even start a movement, such as which can be found in various Corona Virus memes. The next time you look at a meme, think about what it really means to you, is it just a way to get a quick laugh or does it mean more than that?
