MEMES x YOUTH COMMUNICATION “The power of a meme lies in its transmissibility and unique knack for being cross-cultural.” Saint Hoax An internet meme can be a picture, video, piece of text, something that is replicable and adaptable, and carrys symbolic meaning of a particular theme or cultural phenomenon, allowing it to spread widely. A crucial element of this communication format is how they’re shared - 31% of young people are sharing them in both chat apps and social media. The origin of many memes come from fast moving social platforms like Reddit, Twitter, and especially now, TikTok, which is leading a new creative language. With many young people currently lamenting “how bad Instagram is” this week (as the platform scrambles to prioritise TikTok-esque video) the source of influencing trends continues to shift - memes can start on one channel and spread into other platforms. They grab your attention, as put by Samir Mezrahi, creator of Kale Salad meme account; “In a world where you are scrolling through news feeds for hours a day, the meme format catches your eye, and most of them can be read and understood within seconds.” Using memes allows young people to show up authentically and communicate with cultural relevance and personal expression. Memes are shared as part of the norm between friends, with 30% of young people sending them daily. The immediate, shorthand nature of memes makes them a huge part of youth communication, when one picture or text-based meme can encapsulate a common mood or feeling. It can tell you something without telling you explicitly. Memes are often used as a tool to shed light on complicated or difficult emotions, for example rising worries around mental health or climate anxiety: 35% of young people sharing them to show they’re feeling and 28% saying they do this as they can’t express how they’re feeling. |
