What's in a Meme?
What is a meme?
For most college students its a language were are fluent in, but still learning due to its Gen X edition being released in the past few years.
For others like Millennials and Baby Boomers, it can be hit or miss in terms of whether or not you can get the joke or follow along with the main idea of the singular image.
In short, memes are a means of communication and connection between people, but is it really for everyone?
Everyone would like to think so, but how many times have you judged a person for using a meme "wrong"? How many times have you told your parents/teachers "that's not how you use that meme.."? More often than you thought, huh?
Memes can be an amazing way to joke with others, but memes are also subject to policing by younger generations, which makes it less fun for everyone to be a part of.
Mead and me (and don't for get about I)
George Herbert Mead created the social philosophy of "I and Me", closely related to Freuds "ego and censor".
To make this a quick lesson, I is the active self that is less responsive to social pressures. Me is passive and a reflection of social pressures.
So here is an example of how the two interact, or how you would think they interact: you're working a cash register at a busy department store when an angry customer begins to scream at you. Your "I" would want to give her a piece of your mind, but the "Me" stops you from doing that in order to maintain what society makes you perceive is the right thing to do, which would be to be nice and help the customer anyways.
Mead meets Meme
So, how do memes tie into Mead?
If you think about it, every comment or like that you make on a post is your "me" trying to please the society you wish to make happy. You may think it is your I, but there will always be a group of people you are trying to please, whether you think you're a rebel or not.
This also begs the question about if we, in our society, still have an I at all? I chose this image because it gives a god visual to what I'm trying to portray. Are we really showing out "I" or are we giving a distorted picture of who we think we are, or "Me"?
Does "I" still exist?
This is still a major debate between philosophers. But, in my own opinion, I do believe we still have an "I". I myself have viewed my "I" in action. When politics were heated I chose to disengage from social media.
I chose to do that despite the social pressures around me to be involved and get angry on social media.
I made the decision to not please anyone, except myself.
"I" still exists.
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