The aspect of humor cannot be separated from culture, considering that it creates a reflection of the critical elements defined within any given society. However, the manifestation of humor/comedy is different within different cultures considering the values and norms that shape a specific religion. Although humor is universal, cultural differences in the society may create variances that are associated with the perception of humor and the implications attributed to the use of the specific aspects of humor/comedy. The use of fun in society plays a significant role in entertainment, considering that humor/comedy helps in triggering laugher, which is an essential element in different cultures (Tholas-Disset & Ritzenhoff, 2015). The view of religion is different based on the cultural aspects defined in any given society. In that case, there is a wide range of humor options that are presented uniquely based on a given culture. The paper will focus on addressing the phenomenon of memes on social media as part of Contextualizing Humor in Culture.
Memes on social media
A meme refers to an expression or a piece of media that spread on the internet for humorous purposes. The development and spread of memes on social media have increased significantly, thus creating a meme culture. The existence of memes on social media has played a significant role in enhancing humor in culture, considering that the memes capitalize on the current issues in any given society. Recognizing that cultural dissimilarities create differences in the perception of fun, the use of internet memes on social media has enhanced the cultural understanding of humor. The use of memes on social media helps in improving interaction through the sharing process of the memes and through the use of memes that addresses a common issue in society. The idea of memes on social media has contributed to a cultural phenomenon that impacts people in the community through the passing of information from one person to another.
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Questions Raised by the Use of Memes
According to Varis & Blommaert (2015), a meme acts as a unit that helps in carrying out cultural ideas and practices through the use of humor. In that case, the use of memes relates to culture, considering that it helps in enhancing the artistic beliefs and norms based on any given religion. The approach used in the development of memes on social media is based on cultural practices and perceptions regarding humor. Considering that the use of memes relates to the element of fun in culture, the use and implications of the memes may be defined by the principles and practices established in a given culture. The main question that arises with the use of memes on social media is on whether the memes have the ability to influence the cultural perception of the individuals sharing them on social media. The second question raised focuses on whether cultural differences in society have an impact on the usage of memes on social media.
Significance of Memes
Considering that memes have a significant role in carrying cultural ideas, the majority tend to spread fast and go viral on the internet. The nature of memes helps in determining whether a meme goes viral or goes flat on the internet. In that case, it is essential to note that the satirical and ironical aspects of the memes tend to make them funnier than contributing to the sharing process between different people across the internet. The elements of satire and irony are significant in any culture, considering that they help in creating a funny description of an aspect of learning in any given society. The sharing of the memes on social media is influenced by the cultural perception of humor, considering that in a culture that regards humor as an essential part of the society, sharing tends to be more than in a society with a negative perception concerning humor.
The continued use of memes on social media has created a social and a cultural impact in the society. The first social impact of the use of memes in society entails increased interaction across social media, which is enhanced during the sharing process of the memes. The second impact of memes involves entertainment, considering that funny memes trigger laugher, which is vital in entertainment. The cultural effects of memes on social media entail the passing of information regarding the cultural practices and ideas that are significant to a particular culture. Secondly, the memes help in promoting a comic and humorous culture in society, which enhanced by encouraging individuals to be creative in a bid to create culturally appropriate means. Lastly, memes on social media play a significant role in improving communication that would otherwise be impossible considering cultural differences among people in a given society.
Embracing/Challenging the Use of Memes
The use of memes on social media faces a wide range of criticism, considering that there are people that support the development and sharing of the memes, while there are others that oppose the ideologies of the memes. The first category of people that embraces the use of memes on social media is the internet users that involve individuals from different social media platforms. The embracing of the meme culture is depicted through the constant sharing and development of the memes on social media. The social media users maintain that memes help in breaking cultural issues through creating a humorous approach relating to different issues. On the other hand, the aspect of memes in the society faces criticism from individuals that do not understand the ideologies and the purpose of the memes. The individuals that challenge the use of memes do not support the sharing considering that they have a different cultural perception regarding the use of memes.
The New Trends of Memes
According to Nissenbaum & Shifman (2017), technological advancements play a significant role in enhancing the use and spread of memes across the internet. In that case, current trends of the memes indicate that they are headed in a positive direction where the majority of people in the society will embrace the use of memes. Secondly, a change in the perception of humor in culture helps in providing a platform for breaking cultural boundaries, which is an aspect that enhances social integration. Additionally, the fact that memes purposes of entertaining through the provision of funny catchphrases, the continued use will help towards the implementation of the memes in different marketing strategies. The usability of the memes on social media helps in enhancing creativity through the use of satire and irony when addressing various aspects that concern the cultural ideas and practices.
References
Nissenbaum, A., & Shifman, L. (2017). Internet memes as contested cultural capital: The case of 4chan’s/b/board. New Media & Society , 19 (4), 483-501.
Tholas-Disset, C., & Ritzenhoff, K. A. (2015). Humor, Entertainment, and Popular Culture during World War I . Springer.
Varis, P., & Blommaert, J. (2015). Conviviality and collectives on social media: Virality, memes, and new social structures. Multilingual Margins: A journal of multilingualism from the periphery , 2 (1), 31-31.
