Have you ever heard about how Emojis have changed the way we communicate, or how online movies are on the rise, or how texting is slowly dying out due to the use of voice recordings? Technology continues to evolve in the 21st century and it seems as though it will continue for a long time. One of the constantly changing pieces of technology that we use everyday are memes. Through Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat we are able to share funny images or short videos with other people. The newest, funniest, most popular memes come and go, but what do memes do that affect us constantly?

Have you ever heard the quote “laughter is the best medicine?” Well, it’s true! The presence of humor in a person’s life “lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert” (Lawrence, 2018). Memes are one of the quickest and easiest ways to incorporate humor into one’s daily life. Simply scrolling through an Instagram meme page during a lunch break can take some edge off a stressful day. Even if a person does not live a very busy life, but rather a more closed off one, they can find humor without the presence of another person by simply looking through old vines or popular memes. These can ultimately provide anyone with laughter in their day to day life, despite their circumstances.

Similar to emojis, memes are a way of communicating. Now that technology has evolved so much, it is exceptionally easy to send posts on social media to others. Memes have the capability of sending messages to people without having to use words, and therefore, make them inclined to spread. Viral videos and images become popular around the globe in a matter of days, or even hours. The “dab” or the “backpack kid” dance are just a few of the viral videos that have made an explosive impact on the world. These videos created dance moves that someone in India or Argentina could recognize and replicate. Essentially, memes are universal.

Besides getting a good laugh and communicating with others, memes provide yet another platform for people to understand a concept, idea or opinion that they may not have heard about, thought of or considered before. In the media today, teens are growing their interest in politics and global issues through social media, and, better yet, through memes. With the evolution of technology and the help of younger innovators, the internet allows society to connect and understand almost anything in a short period of time. With memes, people can joke about a recent outrageous political decision, or come to understand and learn about the event. Memes are one of the best and simplest ways to get a laugh out of the world, yet also to spark your learning.

The only real issue that arises with the use of memes, would be the fact that they act as distractions in a person’s life. Spending extended time on social media could reverse the benefits a daily laugh could give you or distort the reason for you being on social media in the first place. Too much time looking at a screen can ruin your health, so it is important to make sure that you balance your time and avoid getting sucked into the wide world of memes.

To conclude, it is clear that memes are, in general, beneficial as they can easily get in a quick laugh, they communicate with others from all over the world, and they provide a new and interesting learning platform. Memes are available to everyone who has a phone and can be spread easily and are simple and quick to access.

Works cited:

Kachroo-Levine, Maya. “For Anyone Still Wondering What A Meme Is.” Bustle, Bustle, 25 Apr. 2018, www.bustle.com/articles/86077-what-is-a-meme-heres-what-the-thing-is-you-always-hear-people-talking-about-so.

Robinson, Lawrence, et al. “Laughter Is the Best Medicine.” Healthy Eating Tips to Prevent, Control, and Reverse Diabetes, 2018, www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/laughter-is-the-best-medicine.htm.

Wittenberg, Daniel. “Most Young People Are Interested in Politics but Are Alienated by Politicians | Daniel Wittenberg.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 31 Oct. 2013, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/31/young-people-interested-politics-alienated.