How Memes Affect Millennials
Memes are perpetually evolving and integrating into our society. Memes have become controversial as of late because some believe that they promote harm or normalize mental illness. In some cases, memes that have gotten out of hand have lead to death. On the contrary, others believe that memes are a form of art, open to interpretation. Memes are beneficial to millennials because they provide an outlet for them to be creative, they connect others socially through humor, and they can help comfort those who suffer from mental instability.
Perkins, a college student, writes about how they consider memes to be a form of art and self-expression in the article “Memes are Art.” They argue that memes fit the dictionary definition…show more content… Urban states, ¨The same way middle-aged moms connect over a good chardonnay, millennials connect over a sensible Arthur meme. So memes do a superb job of being the ultimate test of friendship. If I can connect with someone over a meme, I know a beautiful friendship is about to form, and it always does.¨ Memes are defined in Merriam-Webster as ¨an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.¨ This is evident in the rampant spread of these memes, particularly in western culture. Many millennials and teens are almost certain to find at least a few pieces of media relating to memes when they log onto their social-media accounts. When people are exposed to something, especially when they find it humorous, they are likely to continue to spread this message or idea around, thus creating a social chain reaction. Bonds can be and are formed over memes, while it is more evident in the online community, it continues to grow into the outside world. Every day references to memes and online culture tumble freely out of the mouths of these teen and college-age students, their peers respond with laughter and discussion of other memes, bringing them closer together. In this new technology age that the younger generation are immersed in, memes assist in creating and holding the ties to their…show more content… Blueprint states “There is something immensely reassuring about knowing that other people are feeling the same way you do. I think that most people will be familiar with the relief that comes with finding out that someone else hates the same person/thing that I do. These realizations make you feel less alone; it’s a great source of validation. This validation is a big part of the appeal of memes.” Many young people, especially in college can relate to stress and difficulty managing mental health issues. Many have alleviated their stress by using comedy as a coping mechanism for years; Laura Ingalls Wilder once said, "A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing." This being said, it would make sense that young people would do the same, but with a new technological