Memes are an essential wing of the internet that the world can’t part with and wouldn’t wish to either. They occupy the social media platform walls to the daily conversations of people. And this favouritism of memes has led to websites and brands solely devoting themselves to the world of memes. The Lustige bilder – witzige bilder | PutPut has been one such leading platforms in Germany with an extensive stock of fresh nonsensical to politically critiquing memes, bringing people closer every day.
Memes are the mass’ sense of relief and escape from the tiring reality. But the impact of memes has been greater than being just a source of momentary relief. They can affect personal relationships, bring about awareness, aid in communication and many more.
The Impact of Memes on the Youth
A major reason behind the popularity of memes is that they are relatable and can be about anything. Students with the aid of memes become aware as well make light of their daily struggles and issues. They can be a great stress buster and are an easy source of entertainment for the students amidst their busy schedule. They are also a medium to help the youth cope with issues that are not in their control.
Memes have made it easier for the youth to approach someone new and make friends based on their similar taste of humour. They have helped the youth to strengthen their pre-existing relationships. They have also enabled students to approach serious and controversial issues more lightly, which however can end up having negative connotations. However the same can be used to make students and the youth aware of the current social and political scenario, discuss institutional discrimination and other issues.
They can also be used to make education more interesting and spread knowledge. Studies have shown how students are becoming more active in the political processes than before with the help of memes.
The Impact of Memes on the Society
As established, memes are a tool of social interaction. They have also become the means through which an individual can feel like they belong and become one with society.
Often the mass tends to use these funny pictures to cope with major and minor social issues, ongoing crises and discuss political, economic, cultural issues. The so-called dark humour memes are a medium for people to cope with their problems, traumas and stressful situations.
Often memes bring together certain groups of people with their relatable nature and relevance. For instance, silly techie memes may appeal to the IT crowd, superhero memes to the MCU or DC fan base, parenting memes to newer mothers and fathers, literature memes to literature grads and so on.
Memes have also enabled people of colour to establish a strong internet presence which was preoccupied with mostly Caucasians. They have brought closer people of a certain ethnicity, to enrich their sense of belonging, share traditions as well as the threats and common problems. For example, a German citizen who has settled in Canada can still stay in touch with the current scenario and socialize with other Germans solely through the help of memes.
Memes can indeed end up having negative impacts. However, they can also be used to counter these damages. For example, women can choose to make memes out of sexist memes, people of the LGBTQ community can counter-attack particular offensive memes also by using simple funny pictures.
Memes are everywhere. They are today used for advertising, pushing political propaganda, spread awareness, educate, converse and so on. It is certain that the concept of memes will not disappear shortly and will continue to mould and impact the youth and the society they live in.
