Why Do Memes Matter?
I was mindlessly scrolling through my Facebook feed when I stumbled upon this advertisement post that said "use our meme service to promote your brand/product and behold it becoming the new sensation."
At first, I was pretty skeptical and I wondered if that was even a genuine ad but when I clicked on it, I was quite surprised to discover that not only it was totally genuine but a staggering bunch of individuals and organizations had used their service as marketing campaigns for their respective brands. This piqued my curiosity big time so I was compelled to check out what it was all about. Only to inadvertently learn that "meme marketing" is an actual term in the business landscape.
At this, I had a nostalgic episode that made me ponder upon the fact that back in the day people used to "Rick Roll" each other in the name of memes and it meant something that was constrained to an internet fad usually swirling around video games or Anime. But this is Internet memes we're talking about, with the generic type being a picture with a funny caption scrawled across the top.
Evolution of memes
It might surprise you to learn that Memes existed before the internet, even before the world wide web era of the internet. The history of memes is fascinating. However, What's even more fascinating is the way that memes have evolved over the years.
From Pepe the Frog, Overly attached Girlfriend, Chuck Norris memes, and Grumpy cat to self-aggrandizing and AI-generated memes, they've come a long way. Memes are more relevant today than ever and for some, they've proved to be effective coping mechanisms for their problems that life throws at us. It has become an intrinsic part of our cultural identity as a generation right off the bat.
A Brief History of Memes
Believe it or not, Memes have existed since the dawn of humanity (well, maybe not that long but let's just say for a very long period). It's just that the term "meme" for the phenomena was coined only in 1976 by renowned biologist Richard Dawkins in his famous book, The Selfish Gene. The rudimentary analogy behind it is that ideas and thoughts spread, get imitated, and adapted in a similar fashion to the genes found within the DNA of all living beings. So now you know why memes are pronounced the way they are. The answer lies in the Etymology (it always does).
Back to the internet memes, It all started as a vague form of internet humor, platformed at various forums and sites like 4chan and Ebaum's world. With limited lifetime for a post to even get noticed and with meager creation tools, early memes were singular pictures revolving around a chat thread or a glitch within a video game. One prime example being "All your base are belong to us", which was a pretty popular meme back in the late 90s.
Following this, came the top text, bottom text memes which is still prevalent today. In 2007, video format breathed new life into memes and now look around, we've got AI-powered memes. Thus memes have only become more and more complex over time or have they really?
But can memes really be substantial?
Memes will be the quintessential definition of the zeitgeist that is of our internet ridden generation. They can work as a looking glass for the cultural and political ideologies of a period.
Most memes are ephemeral but some rotate around for years. What was once a thing of inside jokes and limited to obscure cyber communities is no more constrained only to that domain. Memes are ubiquitous now.
Memes have become this unique modus operandi for communication. In addition to that, Memes can also be used as propaganda tools to spread false information due to their accessibility and the ability to reach a large audience in a very short span of time. So, Memes can be used to program and bias the public's opinion toward a particular agenda.
In the digital age, Memes have become this very potent tool that is undoubtedly shaping the cultural, business, and Socio-political arena by unprecedented means.
- Memes are impactful and drive results
In 2011, Northwestern University in the US state of Illinois introduced an actual academic course named "Meme Studies" which focuses on how profoundly do the internet and memes impact our society.
source: Barkbox Instagram
There's no denying the fact that Memes are effective means of propagating any idea. The straightforward and visually appealing nature of memes simply works for the attention of lacking masses. We can't help but sympathize with the idea of the meme because of the uncanny resemblance to our personal scenarios.
- Memes are shaping the political landscape
"Memes have the potential to be powerful in an era where likeability can be a deciding factor in elections."
Politics is heavily influenced by the meme culture. They are being used as propaganda tools for spreading false information that is hugely biased for the most part. Youths have found a window of opportunity through social media to enunciate their voice and express their political beliefs in a way that is humorous, lucid, and accessible: memes.
- Memes have hijacked the language
The virality of memes has given birth to this kind of a vernacular internet language comprising of online
vocabulary and abstract grammar. This has brought into question the effects it has on one's ability to communicate.
In his audacious TEDTALK, Aldo Polanco explains "Why Memes are more important than Books". Contentious (I know) but watch the video and find out for yourself.
Netizens have started using this congenial language in their daily conversations. Online or offline, memes have proved to be an excellent source of conversation starters. Perhaps, they can be a fun topic to talk about on a first date.
The Good, the Dank and the Ugly
source: @DankSidePinoy
Although there's no denying the fact that memes have led to a paradigm shift in the cyber world. They have revolutionized the way we communicate and interact online, for better or for worse. However, when you look closely, you'll find there's more to the picture than meets the eye.
According to Dictionary.com, Dank memes refer to viral internet content that, due to overuse or passing trends, has lost its value or currency. It can also refer to exceptionally unique or odd memes.
Memes have become such poignant medium that they possess the ability to instill biased opinions in people's minds. Moreover, they can antagonize a particular race, gender, religion, or sexuality thus serving as a propaganda tool. The bigots, incels, and narrow-minded people are exploiting this very tool to spread hate speech and other cybercrimes. This can hurt the sentiments of people and individuals who are targetted by such acts to an irreparable extent.
This is the zone where things take a turn from fun and humorous to downright ugliness. While some may still find it funny but again comedy is subjective, isn't it? Therefore, It is debatable that Memes can ingrain unhealthy value systems and alter the concept of morality for individuals, especially teenagers or people who are ignorant of the power of the internet.
Look, memes are here to stay, at least for a few more years, if not decades. And, Since we have only started to realize the potential impact that they have on the community, we still don't know how will they evolve further. Will communication be restricted to visually appealing imagery? Will Poetry and literature cease to exist under the smothering presence of memes? Will Businesses flourish only through meme-marketing? But above all, will memes affect interpersonal relationships among us?
We have to understand this phenomenon as a collective and analyze it from a critical viewpoint. Just as Genes are the sequence for our heredity, perhaps, memes could be the sequence for our psyche. And that is the reason why Memes do matter.
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