Do Memes Influence Our Opinions? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Do Memes Influence Our Opinions?

Are memes more powerful than we realize?

24
Do Memes Influence Our Opinions?
Blake Barlow

In one of my classes, I had to read an article about the ways in which memes have become a way of influencing people's political opinions through the communication of political messages. Memes are a globally recognized concept, and I agree that they play some role in the way we understand the world in which we live. A powerful tool of memes that the article takes note of is the humor that it evokes from social media users. The author of the article discusses how memes have become increasingly popular since 2012 for the funny and entertaining content they promote. On the contrary, the author is aware that memes have become greatly concerned with politics, especially in 2016. Memes were no longer just for entertainment purposes; they became politically motivated to influence the political opinions of ever-growing social media audiences.

While I do agree that memes have come to encompass more than just entertainment-related content and have become less sensitive to serious issues in politics, I have more faith in the judgement of our youth than the author does. While most youth receive their news from social media in our age, as the article points out, I would like to think that memes are not a primary source of their knowledge about current events. It is difficult to capture the full context of a situation in one meme, and that's what makes memes so prominent. They encapsulate one, simplified message in a humorous manner, making it accessible to anyone and everyone. I agree that the simplicity that makes memes so popular also makes them incredibly misleading at times; however, I do not think they hold the power to necessarily completely transform people's political views. I think that they are used to reinforce people's political affiliations and beliefs, as I know many who identify as liberals post anti-conservative memes and vice versa. In terms of someone who encounters a political meme but does not understand it, memes can be helpful in compelling people to learn about the situation behind it.

All in all, I do not share the same fear of the dangers of political memes as the author of the article does. I believe that the majority of people take memes with a grain of salt. While memes do make light of a situation, they cannot inform us about it nor can they transform our political opinions. I believe that people are becoming more resistant to misinformation and are able to make more educated, informed decisions based on what they see on social media.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Relationships

The Unwritten Rules Of "Talking"

What is "talking?" How does one "talk?"

4810
girl holding phone
NYCPRGIRLS

Now that it seems “talking” is the new way to date, and will stay that way until another idiotic term is used to describe the people who can’t settle down and just date someone, I feel as if it’s time to go over the unwritten rules of “talking.”

Rule 1. Having feeling without feeling.

Keep Reading...Show less
The Stages of Having FOMO in College
iamthatgirl.com

Are you one of those people that gets super upset when you miss out on anything? Well, you may have FOMO, or fear of missing out. In college it’s not hard to experience FOMO every once in a while. You just love doing everything and anything, so hen you have to miss out on something it's the worst possible thing in your mind. Whether you’re sick, have to work, or have so much work to do you could cry – FOMO will hit you hard in college.

Keep Reading...Show less
Vivien Leigh
Revelist

I've lived a whole 21 years with an RBF (Resting Bitch Face), so naturally, I go through most of these struggles on a daily basis.

And before you ask, yes I'm fine. No, I'm not mad. This is just my face, so take it or leave it! To those of you who have been #blessed with an RBF, you'll probably relate to these more than you'd like to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Iconic Duos: Timeless Legends

From Luke and Leia to Beyonce's twins...

774789
Luke and Leia from Star Wars, a iconic duo
Lucasfilm

“Name a more iconic duo... I'll wait." OK, well, if you insist. In no particular order, here's a list of 100 iconic duos that seem to be timeless.

SEE MORE: This Is The ICONIC Disney Sidekick You Are To Your BFF, According To Your Zodiac Sign

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

A Candid Letter to My Best Friends Ex

Because this is the real form of torture you deserve.

1411
middle finger
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

What's up Asshat,

I've composed a list of things that I wish upon you, and they're harsh and cruel. These things are things that I wouldn't wish upon my worst of enemies, not even that Starbuck's barista who always screws up my order, not even him. You fall into a whole other category of hate. You surpass Starbucks barista. Congratulations, I'm actually a pretty nice person, making you worthy of every single bit of torture I wish upon you. What are these things I wish upon you you might ask?

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments