journeytothecenterofmymind

[journeytothecenterofmymind]

Memes galore!

Today kids, we're talking about memes. Memes are one of my favorite formats of humor, especially when they relate to history and literature. I share memes on my Instagram story every day. I follow multiple meme accounts, but I mostly repost literature memes I see on the many hashtags I follow and on the literature pages I follow. I personally think that sparknotes shares the best lit memes, and I repost those often. I don't post every meme I see, however, I only post memes that I find either particularly interesting or really funny. I think Instagram or Facebook are certainly the best places to find original memes and memes that are reposted from tumblr and reddit. I honestly think reddit is the best place to find original memes, you just have to be looking on the right subreddits. Instagram is the best because it's a picture sharing platform and a lot of memes are in picture form, so it's just common sense. Facebook is similar to Instagram in that it also has the capability to share photos, but this feature isn't the main focus like it is on insta.

There are certainly people who are more likely to post memes than others. People who are really into memes will sometimes start their own meme accounts, reposting memes and posting some original content. Some brands post memes, as it makes them seem more relatable than if they post formal advertisements. Some brands I've seen utilize memes for advertisement are Gucci, Barkbox, Slim Jim, Sparknotes, Bustle, etc. Some athletes and sports associations like the NBA use memes to stay relevant and because people like them.

Memes are incredibly important to the social media ecosystem. Since they are so popular and so easy to understand and create, they can be created and changed slightly to match the aspects of the brand that are desired and are incredibly useful to marketing. Again, people would rather see an everyday meme that makes them laugh than a formal ad for something they may not even want to buy. When I see that brands use memes as ads, I usually don't even notice it's an ad. I see a meme I like and I hit the like button without thinking twice or looking at the account that posted it. Because of actions like this, the memes get likes and the appear more frequently in the algorithm which causes similar ads to appear more frequently on your page, eventually pulling you in to buy something or visit their page or website. I think the companies that dedicate the bulk of their content to ads via memes are smart because when you go to their page and see all these memes, it feels less like they're trying to sell you something and more like their just trying to entertain you.

Memes are incredibly useful for communication because they capture the viewer's attention with a brief message. Since most of the internet seems to appreciate memes, this is a useful means of putting out information. People connect through memes by sharing the ones they find entertaining or even cringy with their friends, family, and even followers. One meme can be posted and get 10 likes in the first 2 hours it's on the web, but once one person shares it with their 5 closest friends and those friends share it with their families, and so on, the meme goes viral and the next day it can have 10 million likes. The internet is amazing for sharing information quickly, efficiently, and widely, and the sharing of memes is not exception.

No matter how entertaining and widely accessible memes are, there are some time when it is inappropriate to use them. One example would be in a business meeting. In a high profile business meeting where professionalism is the most important factor, sharing a light-hearted meme would probably not go over well. Memes tend not to match the energy of the business setting. Another example would be in a doctor's office. Having one or two memes posted on the wall can be a way to make your patients feel more at ease at the doctor, but if the doctor starts referencing memes or shows them to the patient, it can make the patient question the doctor's professionalism and make them not want to go back to that doctor's office.

Overall, memes are amazing ways to start a conversation, educate people on very basic information, they're good for marketing, and they're just plain fun. I have included some of my favorite memes here because how can you have a post about memes but not post any?

[journeytothecenterofmymind]

What does a documentary on Netflix have to do with me?

*TW: MENTION OF ATTEMPTED SUICIDE*

"Social Animals" is a documentary focused on three American teenagers and their experiences on social media, specifically Instagram. Kaylyn, a 15-year-old girl from southern California, has a large platform that she wishes to grow further to convince her dad to invest in her fashion line. Humza is a young man from Brooklyn, New York who grew his platform posting pictures from the tops of buildings and bridges. Emma is a girl from Ohio who unfortunately was dealt more risks of social media than rewards.

Each teen in the documentary grew up in differing environments that shaped who they are today. Kaylyn grew up surrounded by nothing but love and support. She has access to countless resources to help her succeed in her goals and aspirations. Social media did not seem to change her identity, but rather became her identity. Kaylyn prides herself on being authentic and “just a normal girl”, and this comes across in the documentary. Her boyfriend, however, mentions she spends all her time on her phone looking at social media, which seems to consume her and to have become her identity.

Humza grew up in the ghetto of Brooklyn, New York surrounded by peers who got into different kinds of trouble. He did not want the life of his friends who smoke at 7 am and do graffiti for fun. Humza got into skateboarding and photography which distanced him from his peers and lead him to fame. He once found a supportive environment on social media for his photography, but once he talked to the press a few times, he lost their support and was labeled a sell-out. His presence of social media and his art have become a huge part of his identity which I can empathize with. As a novel skateboarder and artist myself, I found Humza’s story particularly compelling. Coming from nothing and making a name for yourself is incredibly hard to do, and Humza did it not only on his own, but with backlash from the community he once found comfort being a part of.

Emma’s environment destroyed her. After a bad relationship, she got bullied by her former friends and most of her class. She moved to a new school, and once again suffered from the end of another bad relationship. Although her family was very supportive of her, her peers were cruel which led to her attempted suicide. She felt like she lost her identity as a result of social media, but she learned to keep her circle small and her account private so she could protect herself from this repeating in the future.

I find that people my age have grown up with social media and it has taken over our lives as a generation. We put so much weight on whether our posts are perfect and if our peers will like our content rather than what makes us happy, and it is sad to see that social media has become a big part of our identities. “We all edit ourselves on social media” is something Humza said at the end of the documentary, and it rings true. We change our image to what we think others want to see instead of showing our authentic selves out of fear that others will reject us. I used to rely very heavily on social media and the acceptance of my peers, that it caused me to have many unhealthy habits. I since have changed these habits and come to learn that no one’s opinion of me matters more than my own and my content has reflected that. I now use social media much less and do not rely on it to validate myself, but rather use it as a platform to share my ideas, my content, my art, and my happiness with those who care to see it.