It seems that in the past decade, meme’s have found a way of joking about mental health issues and altering the way we communicate with one another. We use them as a “normal” way of talking nowadays as well as how we illustrate our emotions. Most people tend to think of memes as jokes, but like any joke, there is truth and reasoning behind the creation and use of the meme. From Kermit the Frog, Spongebob Squarepants and stick figure memes like “how to talk to short people”, there is a plethora of meme’s that show society’s depression, loneliness and societal misconceptions. We are going to look into why people use these popular memes and what they imply.
How to Talk to Short People
Like similar memes, this one is based on irony. Of course, the proper way to talk to a short person is not getting lower so you’re at the same level. Most shorter people would find this extremely rude and may even walk away from the situation. Others with good humor might just laugh. Either way, it is a way of communicating that usually doesn’t conclude with the best possible solution or transfer of information. Short people are just that. People that are slightly shorter. So give them the respect they deserve and use how to talk to short people meme when applicable.
Kermit the Frog
Dark humor is often used in meme’s that reference the lengths that people will go to when a situation has pushed them to the brink. People joke about wanting to kill themselves all the time when a situation gets tough and unfair. This Kermit the Frog meme reflects this perfectly. As hilarious as the use of this meme may be, it is somewhat unsettling knowing how frequently it is used and for what circumstance.
Spongebob Squarepants
Spongebob Squarepants memes are amongst the most widely used memes on the internet. The one depicted above shows Spongebob putting a happy spin on having depression. He indicates that depression is the result of whatever the viewer is going through at the time. Spongebob, being that he is a very friendly and colorful character, allows the illustration of a series topic with a more friendly spin. Again, these memes are relatively harmless, but the story behind them and the use call for some attention.
Illustrating Emotion
Memes have quickly been ingrained into pop-culture and are used so often now, that some universities offer programs that study the use of memes. They often illustrate how younger people feel, without the person blurting out their true emotion. It also allows others to associate themselves with the same emotion by using a popular childhood animation. Although they do allow others to feel and associate themselves with other emotions, it is alarming how this generation is using the illustrations. It is a well-known fact that mental illness continues to rise while treatment remains unchanged.
In fact, Mental Health America found that 64% of young Americans with major depression received no treatment in 2017. In addition, according to The National Alliance of Mental Health, 1 in 5 Americans suffer from mental illness.
Maybe today’s youth are actually experiencing more depression, anxiety, and sadness than past generations. If this is truly the case, more needs to be done to make sure that our future generations are given the tools to deal with emotional distress.
