Memes: The witty take on reality

Our online culture is flooded with memes. They are omnipresent and so powerful that entire communities form around them, where people can simply feel good, share a laugh, or unite during turbulent times. Indeed, “turbulent times” is an apt descriptor, as memes help us navigate and make sense of our complex modern society through humor. They combine linguistic and visual elements that symbolically reflect reality, which makes them highly relatable and allows people to identify and name a certain shared feeling or sentiment? This allows them to spread rapidly online, garnering billions of shares and likes. 

Memes are even influencing the emergence of new forms of language, subcultures, and aesthetic trends. The significance of this impact has led to the creation of the transmedia project “Meme Manifesto”, which aims to equip people with tools to understand and mobilise the power of memes to promote a new, equitable future. This includes “The Iceberg“, an immersive journey through the layers of meme culture — an experience you can easily lose yourself in (definitely check it out)!