It goes without saying that memes are good for the soul. Sometimes you just want to stare at a phone screen until maybe 3 AM in the morning, reading about all of the relatable experiences other people have and then laughing at how you do that too.
The internet’s actually full of opportunities for this, with one of the more perfect examples being the r/absolutelynotme_irl subreddit that’s totally definitely “not your selfies of the soul."
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So, r/absolutelynotme_irl is a subreddit that’s all about memes. There is no strict category on the theme and topic, but it just so happens to be heavily focused on personal experience and relationships.
The group is home to 513,000 members who tune in daily for memes that the group describes as “absolutely not your selfies of the soul“.
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At this point, you know very well what memes are and why they are so darn good. Benefits of memes range from cultural information exchange and a form of communication to collective coping and just a good way to improve your mood. Also, it's a great form of stress relief when it’s 3 AM and you’re curled up in bed unable to fall asleep.
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Memes, however, do come with a warning label—one that you might not have noticed, but here is your warning:
For starters, because memes are a form of communication—a very effective one considering the factor of virality, influence, what have you—it is also by proxy a potential vessel for misinformation.
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Not only that but memes are often designed to capitalize on our vices, i.e. our easily apprehended attention, triggering us to keep on scrolling, liking and sharing them. And that only adds to why folks consider meme culture toxic.
You see, memes can often be disconnected from their original context. This in turn belittles the sense of distress in some more sensitive contexts.
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Adding to this is the fact that some of the more common tropes used in memes are dark humor and self-deprecation. While these can be positive, there is a concern that they might foster a social culture that does away with empathy and desensitizes serious issues to a point where genuine struggles are disregarded.
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Besides that, the nature of memes leads some to believe that they can’t really take heavy topics and problems seriously.
And sure, the internet is very quick in debunking misinformation, but once a meme goes viral and the damage is done, it’s hard to undo it as netizens jump on the waning popularity of the meme and a segment of its audience is already gone.
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Another perspective to consider is how corporations use memes to boost brand presence. Sure, memes are definitely a helpful tool for companies to use to improve their bottom line. However, it just means that a meme was originally created to push a particular agenda—one that focuses on company profits and nothing more. And that agenda can be anything at this point.
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And it doesn’t stop there. Memes have the potential for encouraging a bandwagon effect and diminishing individuality. Because everyone thinks memes are cool, this pushes folks to assume particular styles, behaviors and attitudes towards a given issue, overriding their own personality and normalizing toxic behaviors.
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But, the point is to focus on the positives: it is a form of language for people that unites them through collective consciousness, evoking strong emotions that can serve as a form of support, humor, and political dissent. If done right, they can influence public opinion for the better, pushing away the tide of ignorance and letting societies prosper.
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So, what are your thoughts on any of this? On a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you think memes describe your life? Share your takes, thoughts and stories in the comments below!
And if you feel like you need more exposure to memes, then look no further than the subreddit.
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