Merriam Webster dictionary defines a meme as an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture. And it’s no secret that they have become the unofficial fuel of the internet. From Bernie’s mittens and Pence’s fly to the year 2020 and the ship stuck in the Suez Canal, everything gets turned into a meme. And while they’re often fun and give us a much-needed cringe fix, sometimes they get a little harsh and cross the line.
But thanks to the Twitter page “Wholesome Memes” that aims at spreading positivity, we now have a feel good-only collection of some of the best memes out there. “We spread internet memes and images that promote health or well-being of body, mind and/or soul,” reads their description and their whopping 1.3M followers live by it.
And in a world savaged by the brutality of cold facts, sad news, and post-2020 blues that turned out to be no better than that cursed year itself, Wholesome Memes are more relevant than ever.
More info: WholesomeMemes.com | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
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The internet can be a beautiful place, but it can also be a miserable, mean, fake place full of unwanted toxicity from people, directed at people, or it may come from the type of content itself. And memes, generally a fun meta way to communicate ideas online, can also sometimes turn sour.
For example, according to The Verge, a new study funded by the European Union aimed to determine how influential these memes truly were, particularly in swaying the election. In examining over 160 million images from Twitter, Reddit, 4chan’s Politically Incorrect board (/pol/), and Gab, gathered between July 2016 and July 2017, researchers found that the most popular racist memes existed on fringe political channels like /pol/ and r/The_Donald, with the latter being the most effective at spreading racist memes to both alt-right and traditional websites.
People so often don't appreciate the everyday gifts we get. Great reminder.
“These online pockets of hate speech help propagate alt-right memes by co-opting popular themes and images, like Pepe, for instance, by making racist rhetoric accessible and even fun. Memes were the Trojan horse that allowed the out-group to infiltrate and influence the in-group,” stated The Verge.
Fortunately, a big amount of viral images-turned-memes can open ways to positive, prosocial behaviors as well. But it vastly depends on the type of society we live in. “Memes are a reflection of our culture. They lead us to reexamine some of their own behavior,” suggests Rosanna Guadagno, a researcher at the Peace Innovation Lab at Stanford University.
Since memes touch upon a relatable emotion or moment, it’s possible that on some occasions, if used in a negative setting, it becomes a wake-up call. “If you think [the meme’s message] reflects poorly on the people who engage in that behavior, you’ll choose not to engage in that behavior,” Guadagno explains.
If we agree that memes are indeed the modern form of culture, we have to face the fact that this form is now inevitable. And it’s really upon us how we’d be using them and what ideas we’d be communicating with their help.
In such context, the Wholesome Memes page may seem more relevant than ever. The project serves as a great example of putting memes to a constructive use to share some much-needed feel-good emotion.
Looks good to me. Would have been nice if the one I tried to hug when I was a toddler didn't try to kill me instead of hugging back. B*stard.
Unlike politicians, who are supposed to be public servants, but people are nice to them and consider them their 'rulers'.
Ah, the good old "education beer"! I remember my music teacher always used to have one. He got fired when he stopped showing up for work though.
That's been one one silver lining of this pandemic. Getting to see newscasters' pets.
We admire those who "never met a stranger," and so should acknowledge that they never met a bore.
That's so me. I know all my neighboring doggos' names, but have no idea their owners' names. I have full on conversations with the doggos without ever even looking at the owner, even though they're the ones answering my questions. My neighbors must think I'm nuts.
Sadly that's still not what the majority in our society thinks. "Man up!" "Are you a man or a cry baby? "
Thank you! I'm shorter than average and no one really teases me, but I get a lot of comments that I'm sick of. I'm short, so what?
Hahah I love this one. It's honestly so accurate. I know some people in that age group know better than most kids how to work electronics, but it's funny how just changing the TV source causes them to think that you're some kind of genius.
I just want everyone to know that even if they don't feel like it they are deserving of love no matter what.
this is so true though, in art class i can't stop myself from staring at all my friend's arts
All these posts are doing is making me jealous of the people with friends
And you are too. *insert heart emoji here* (sry,, I'm not on a phone)
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Fun fact: it’s transgender visibility day today! The memes along with all the support my friends are giving me has melted my transgender heart.
Where did all the jerks come from? go away! or maybe stop being a jerk and enjoy? :-)
Thank you. This made my heart smile. I hope whoever reads my comment is doing good and smiles bright. I love you all.
Hey Ryan you doing okay you seem to be posting a few negative comments?
Load More Replies... And you are too. *insert heart emoji here* (sry,, I'm not on a phone)
Load More Replies... Fun fact: it’s transgender visibility day today! The memes along with all the support my friends are giving me has melted my transgender heart.
Where did all the jerks come from? go away! or maybe stop being a jerk and enjoy? :-)
Thank you. This made my heart smile. I hope whoever reads my comment is doing good and smiles bright. I love you all.
Hey Ryan you doing okay you seem to be posting a few negative comments?
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