Memes and Social Change: A Brief Study

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The popularity of memes is increasing day by day. People are constantly using memes to put forth their thoughts and opinions on various matters. And they are widely accepted by all because they are easily retable, anyone can make it, cover any topic, come in different forms, and mainly because they have an added humor to it. Their hilarious depiction makes them unique. A satirical web tool like this can bring around an enormous social change without even hurting anyone’s feelings or beliefs. It would be wrong to say that “it can bring.” People are already using them to influence people and bring around a change. 

Why has it gained so much importance in today’s world?

Memes serve various purposes. In our hectic lives, we hardly have time to stop for a while and unwind or entertain ourselves. Scrolling through a meme can help a person relax a bit while handling various other tasks at hand. We even browse through them to distract ourselves from the worries of our day-to-day life or distract our minds from the troubling news of the world. They even make us feel connected with a larger section of people who think alike. It gives us a sense of belonging. We are so busy with our jobs that we do not have time for hobbies. Meme, being a free form of entertainment, can serve as an alternative for having a good laugh at the end of a tiring day. You can even start your day by glancing through the motivational memes in Meme Scout pages. It will make you feel good and make your day. 

But how are they influencing society? Let’s have a look at it.

Covers anything and everything

Earlier, memes were made based on poems, famous quotes, songs, etc. But with the advent of the internet, meme culture grew pervasively. Today they come in various forms. Previously only images and text were used to make a meme. Now video memes are going viral instantly as they have a greater appeal to the people. You name any genre, and the internet will flood you with memes on it. Thus, you get to use memes from all spheres to influence people.

Easy to understand and get into

Memes mirror every aspect of our lives. It may be based on cultural events, social opinions, political views, some known facts, famous books, songs, breaking news, etc. Whatever be the subject matter, they are depicted in such a way that any person can understand it (provided they are aware of the topic).   

Anyone can be a meme creator

And the fun part is that anyone can become a meme maker. You need not have to have the technical knowledge to be a part of the meme culture. You can express your opinion and spread it through social media and can thus influence others with your thought. Without investing a single penny, you can create a meme through the use of a meme generator or an image editor. 

Helps to cope up with everyday stress

Humor is always effective in creating awareness against issues that we generally avoid speaking about in public. We avoid talking about the negative effect of high-paid job stress in our personal lives, mental concerns like depression, loneliness, problems of anxiety, and many other similar issues. Reading or making a meme on these matters works like a coping strategy and helps to deal with them. 

Conclusion

Other than bringing social changes in these regards, they can sometimes replace effective communication, which could have taken place between two humans if the meme wouldn’t have made its presence felt. It has its negative side as well, which people have started to explore lately. 

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