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When in melancholy, all of us – from kids to old, all turn to memes. Personally, I can’t sleep before I’ve watched at least 2-3 memes. It doesn’t matter if they’re not funny or absolutely lame, it has just turned into this incessant habit that I, nay, any one of us can’t get rid of.
Initially, the word “meme” finds its origin in the book The Selfish Gene which was written by Richard Dawkins in 1976 as an attempt to explain how ideas replicate, mutate, and evolve.
Internet memes grew as a concept in the mid-1990s. At the time, memes were just short clips that were shared between people in Usenet (an archaic version of the internet) forums.
Can you imagine what memes that old would’ve been like?
However, we look for memes in order to laugh or feel good. People have their own preferences – dark memes, dank memes, directed by Robert B. Weide (yes, that definitely should be a category!), etc. But we all know that anything in excess can turn extremely toxic and vicious.
The Toxic Side Of Meme Culture
That’s exactly the case for the meme culture. Some memes go past that boundary and just end up being disrespectful and toxic.
The issue appears when ignorant people decide to joke about something that may appear thoughtless. Unfortunately, in certain cases, people on the Internet go overboard by appearing insensitive and not being apologetic
The hidden reality of these jokes comes to the forefront when they start hurting the masses’ sentiments. A random picture of a black person, someone fat or really skinny or even a transgender is shared among the various social media platforms without any permission.
Meme culture largely feeds on self-deprecating and insensitive jokes which are more often than not termed as “dark” humor.
I’ve got a friend who keeps sharing memes on autism and racism because apparently it’s supposed to be “dank” and one needs a “wicked sense of humor” to get it. No Susan, it’s downright disgraceful and atrocious!
There is absolutely nothing funny about berating people who are autistic. Not only does it portray a clear lack of empathy but also invalidates and dismisses the struggles of people who might have been subjected to the same in their lifetime.
Read More: In Pics: 7 Underrated Comebacks From Friends That Are Ridiculously Meme-worthy
There has also been the addition of derogatory slang such as “simp” and “snowflake” that contributes to the growing culture of apathy. Shaming someone for the way they feel towards someone is harmful.
Now with the recent war at hand between Russia and Ukraine, it seems like these “memers” have not a single shred of humanity left in them.
There will always be two sides to a coin. What matters is which side we choose to stay on. The one with fun and light humor or the one that is derogatory and apathetic which shows a lack of creativity and empathy.
Image Sources: Google Images
Sources: Blogger’s own thoughts
Find the Blogger: @Rishita51265603
This post is tagged under memes, meme culture, toxic meme culture, insensitive, dehumanizing, derogatory, simp, snowflake, self-deprecating jokes, racist slurs, Richard Dawkins, the selfish gene, the 1960s, apathy, gaslighting
We do not hold any right, copyright over any of the images used, these have been taken from Google. In case of credits or removal, the owner may kindly mail us.
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