MEMES

Ever since I have discovered what memes were I was immediately attracted and amused by them. On Instagram right now I follow at least 20 meme pages, and I honestly really use instagram to see memes rather than pictures of people that I follow. I am a true believer that memes are something that unites us all. They are ways for us to relate to one another and to know that we are not alone. When I see a meme about anxiety, or struggling with school, it is a sense of comfort to see that other people are going through it as well.

It is hard for me to choose one meme to analyze but I came across one today from the account called nochill (a certified meme account on Instagram).

This account, nochill, is one of my favorite accounts because I find them to be the most relatable. They post memes that I feel any young adult in college can relate to. Whether it is about friends, a love life, school work, or stress this account has it all, which is why I love it so much.

The meme above addresses the fact that people are already having a bad year although it is only (at that time) January 1st. It goes to show that everyone struggles, everyone has hard times, and this meme makes a joke out of that. I am the type of person who looks for humor in more somber situations, so it is not surprising that memes like this catch my interest.

This meme received over 53,000 likes on this page alone but was also posted on numerous other accounts. I could not find other variations of this exact meme where this would have imitated from but there are many memes about the new year and how people are more likely to not change or do anything different. For example see some memes below.

The 2032 meme also stems from the fact that many memes are created around the holidays. A time where people are with family (a little too much) and need memes to be able to relate and find comfort in their family drama. New Year’s especially is overrated as people believe in resolutions and find it as a chance to renew themselves; when in reality no one is doing that. That is why memes like this help us come to terms with reality and the fact that no one is actually sticking to their resolutions/changing as much as they say they are.

The article by WATERCUTTER & GREY ELLIS (2018) titled “What is a Meme?” states that, “If you’re an isolated person looking to feel a sense of belonging, there’s no better way to project that you’re in the know than sharing a meme.” I completely agree with their statement because memes are away to feel connected when you are alone. They are a chance for you to relate to the online world which consists of so many people.

“The creator of memes should win a noble peace prize when you really think about it.” – Jaymi Zimmerman (me)