These first few weeks in Writing For Digital Media have been off to a boppin' start. So far we've each started a blog, made memes about ourselves, and written listicles. In that time, we've also considered those methods of digital communication critically, thinking about their pros and cons and what makes them effective.
Surprisingly, the term meme was first coined in 1976 by Richard Dawkins--that word for all those funny internet pictures we send to our friends is over 40! It's original definition was "something that catches on and replicates," and even today, that's a pretty accurate definition. And that catchiness is what makes them stand out.
Here's a list of some of the pros and cons that we discussed as a class:
Pros:
- effective way of spreading a message
- can bring people together
- helps open conversation with low stakes
- avenue of creation
- relatable
- quick
Cons:
- can contribute to people becoming desensitized from serious topics
- can be harmful to the actual people in them
- “corporatization” of memes by companies
- easy spread of misinformation
- easy to “steal” work without crediting the creator
- shallow (easy to make a meme about a problem, laugh, and move one without effecting change or making a meaningful contribution)
Despite all these cons, memes themselves are not inherently harmful, but the information spread with them can be, and that's why (like all forms of media), consumers must be careful to think critically about the content they're absorbing.
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