The Sneaky Truth About Memes

The moment you see the meme, you know you have to share it. The sarcastic caption cracks you up, and you love that the photo is from one of your favorite movies. You quickly repost the image—and you aren’t the only one. Within hours, the meme has been viewed millions of times.

Sure, the caption is funny and all, but the image’s popularity is more about how it was presented—as a meme, or a bite-sized piece of digital content that’s copied and shared widely online. Memes include everything from animated images to TikTok challenges, and their use is growing. Instagram reported that users shared more than 1 million meme-related posts a day on its app in 2020.

The moment you see the meme, you know you have to share it. The sarcastic caption cracks you up, and you love that the photo is from one of your favorite movies. You quickly repost the image. But you aren’t the only one. Within hours, the meme gains millions of views.

Sure, the caption is funny and all, but the image’s popularity is more about its format. It’s a meme, or a bite-sized piece of digital content that’s copied and shared widely online. Memes include everything from animated images to TikTok challenges. And the popularity of these type of images is growing. In fact, Instagram reported that users shared more than 1 million meme-related posts a day on its app in 2020.

Memes have a surprising power: They can influence how you view and respond to the world around you. But the “facts” they contain can sometimes be false or misleading. And knowing exactly who made a meme—and why—can be almost impossible to determine.

That’s why it’s important to take a closer look before you repost one, explains Jennifer LaGarde, a digital literacy expert from Olympia, Washington. “We see memes as silly grumpy-cat stuff, but they are highly effective tools,” she says. “They spread very fast, and people want to share them.”

Memes have a surprising power: They can influence how you view and respond to the world around you. But the “facts” they contain can sometimes be false or misleading. And knowing exactly who made a meme—and why—can be almost impossible to determine.

That’s why it’s important to take a closer look before you repost one, explains Jennifer LaGarde, a digital literacy expert from Olympia, Washington. “We see memes as silly grumpy-cat stuff, but they are highly effective tools,” she says. “They spread very fast, and people want to share them.”

Part of memes’ appeal is that they can shrink complicated issues into easily digestible snapshots. But that’s also a reason for caution, says Jamie Cohen, assistant professor of media studies at CUNY Queens College in New York City. After all, meme creators decide which part of an issue to reveal—and in doing so, they can influence your opinion.

For example, sports fans might make memes about their team’s biggest win—not mentioning that the team has lost every other game. People who don’t know any better might see those memes and assume that the team is one of the best. Or those engaged with politics might create memes that don’t share any opposing viewpoints, so people hear only one side of an argument.

Some creators go even further and use memes for disinformation—intentionally sharing false messages. They use images, videos, and text to spread harmful ideas, such as prejudice against certain groups.

Part of memes’ appeal is that they can make complicated issues easier to understand. But that’s also a reason for caution, says Jamie Cohen, assistant professor of media studies at CUNY Queens College in New York City. After all, meme creators decide which part of an issue to reveal. As a result, these creators can influence your opinion.

For example, sports fans might make memes about their team’s biggest win. They might not mention that the team has lost every other game. People who don’t know any better might see those memes and assume that the team is one of the best. Or those engaged with politics might create memes that don’t share any opposing viewpoints, so people hear only one side of an argument.

Some creators go even further and use memes to share false messages. They use images, videos, and text to spread harmful ideas, such as prejudice against certain groups.

The government and other agencies that track memes “have found that
they are a favorite tool for people who want to spread conspiracy theories, who want to spread propaganda, who want to spread hate and xenophobia, “LaGarde says.

That kind of content isn’t always easy to spot. Some is hidden as a word or symbol within innocent-looking memes. “The messages can only be read by an inside group” that knows what to look for, Cohen says. Users who share such memes end up promoting the negative message—often without realizing it.

Even if you don’t share hurtful memes, viewing negative content can still cause harm. Researchers have found that repeatedly seeing the same false information can make you more likely to believe it.

The government and other agencies that track memes “have found that they are a favorite tool for people who want to spread conspiracy theories, who want to spread propaganda, who  want to spread hate and xenophobia,” LaGarde says.

That kind of content isn’t always easy to spot. Some is hidden as a word or symbol within innocent-looking memes. “The messages can only be read by an inside group” that knows what to look for, Cohen says. Users who share such memes end up promoting the negative message. Often, they’ve done so without realizing it.

Even if you don’t share hurtful memes, viewing negative content can still cause harm. Researchers have found that repeatedly seeing the same false information can make you more likely to believe it.