Memes and Social Change
By Kara Folkeringa
The word ‘meme’ actually came from the Greek work ‘memica’, which translates to ‘imitated.’ To define a meme in terms of its structure (picture, video, etc) is nearly impossible, as a meme can be nearly anything, so long as it’s an imitation of an original. Memes are highly transmissible, if they resonate with enough people, they can spread extremely fast.
Source: Flickr, Kurrija
Memes, Advocacy, and Activism
Memes as a concept are neutral, but they can be used in positive or negative ways. A big downfall we see is how misinformation can easily spread through memes. On the other hand, memes can be a powerful tool in bringing about social change.
The focus here will be on digital memes that can be created and spread as a form of activism, but it is also worth noting that Internet memes have actually become part of physical protests. Many have started taking memes and turning them into posters to bring on their pickets, as exemplified in the image below. It really shows the deep impact memes have on culture and society in that they are used in activist pursuits outside of the Internet.
From Meme to Voice of the People
So how do memes become tools for activism? Mainstream narratives are exclusionary, very few are able to weigh in on political and social areas of concern, but memes allow for anyone to enter the conversation. As a meme grows, it also becomes a way for marginalized people to feel a sense of belonging and collective identity with others who can relate to it. A massive advantage to using memes and social media to pursue social change is that there are far more people who can participate than if it were an in-person protest, it becomes harder to ignore a multitude of voices of people mobilized across vast geographic areas.
Kara takes on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Video here.
Two Examples (Among Many) of Meme Activism
Example one is the #MeToo movement. It all began with Harvey Weinstein, when it came out in 2017 that he had been sexually assaulting/harassing women for years. An explosive number of tweets emerged in the aftermath, using the hashtag #MeToo to support and share similar stories of abuse. The ‘Me Too’ campaign began years earlier, with Tarana Burke, but it was Alyssa Milano who first started encouraging people to use #MeToo as a hashtag in 2017. This movement has influenced many public policy changes around the world. In Canada specifically, when the 2018 budget was introduced it referenced #MeToo and focused on gender equality in key areas such as violence reduction and workplace equality. An interesting note about this movement is that it consists mostly of tweets and pictures of tweets, which can be debated whether or not it constitutes a ‘true’ meme.
Example two is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. This challenge started with Chris Kennedy, who was nominated to the ‘ice bucket challenge’ by a friend, and chose to donate to an organization tied to ALS. Before Kennedy, the challenge was not associated with ALS exclusively, but it seemed to evolve into it the more it spread. As we know, this challenge went viral and so many participated in it in 2014. In Canada, 260,000 people donated because of the challenge to a sum amounting to $16.2 million. Worldwide, millions participated and by August of 2014 over $100 million had been raised. A tangible outcome is a new treatment approved in October of this year, funded through the money raised from the challenge, that can dramatically slow down the disease. This example demonstrates how memes can be an effective way to exact change, individuals and families affected by ALS can look forward to years of research and advancements thanks to this meme.
Creating Memes to Promote Social Change
Although there can be some randomness to which memes spread, there are some ways to set the memes up for a greater chance of success. Firstly, simplicity is key. Memes that are complicated or have too much information packed in aren’t as attention-grabbing and transmissible as simple ones. Another factor is making sure that the meme is not so specific that it only speaks to a niche group that others won’t understand. Making sure the target audience is broad can allow the meme to be seen and grasped by more people, increasing odds of going viral and getting the message across.
Both simplicity and appealing to a broad target audience can help a meme be successful and reach more people, but what seems to be the dominant trait of popular memes is that they elicit an emotional response. Memes that trigger feelings of anger or joy through humour tend to have the best response, as these are high-arousal emotions. If you’re interested in learning more about the Psychology behind this, some have started to look at the combination of Valence (positive/negative emotions), Arousal, and Dominance (sense of being in control) to determine which means will go viral, click here to read more about that.
Memes Advocacy and Activism Are Not Easy—Don’t Give Up!
If you’re trying to pursue activism through memes and are not having success, don’t give up! The best thing to do is to keep trying different content and methods for getting your point across. No matter what, don’t stop fighting for what matters.
For a list of sources, please view our references list.
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