One scroll, one post: yes, I hate this political party!

Today, the culture of laughing and cursing at memes has become part of human identity.

Almost everyone, including children, has their own phone nowadays. Most adults opt for platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. Generally, kids prefer to scroll YouTube Shorts. 

Many individuals would say it is normal, which raises the question: is it even worth discussing?

Yes, unfortunately. We humans do not even realise how this daily scrolling can affect our cognition and actions. As social media can lead to depression, people are more likely to use it to change their moods. Although memes have a lot of benefits not only on a personal but also on a societal level, they can cause some of the most concerning consequences.

Memes as a New Political Language 

The prominent characteristic of memes is that they allow individuals to engage in political discourse regardless of their age and experience. Nowadays, anyone can debate on social media and express their political opinions rather than write long articles and give speeches. This is mostly because of political sarcasm. Memes are short and easy to understand. People generally prefer to scroll through them to become aware of political situations rather than read digital news.

When Humour Turns into Misinformation 

However, there is a need for acknowledgement that memes may distort one’s beliefs and cause political unrest. When a sixteen-year-old boy shares a funny political post, he expresses his beliefs. This internet humour is shaping political debates today, and we are letting it in on an unconscious level. Not only this, but most critics argue that memes have become a major source of spreading misinformation and confusing people. For instance, during the ongoing Iran–Israel conflict, funny posts were circulating everywhere claiming that the president of North Korea said that if Israel hit Iran again, it would face severe consequences. This did not remain just a meme. Unfortunately, a lot of people became victims of this information, including my friend. This illustrates that this culture is not something to laugh at, as people are now sharing false news under the guise of memes to get likes and promote their accounts.

One of the most appalling things is that even eight-year-old children are not left behind. They like to watch YouTube Shorts, but again, it is another form of social scrolling.

The Political Power of Viral Content 

The blue and green sphere has become increasingly dangerous to humanity now. Every minute that passes, we hear new tragedies and warnings. This demonstrates the need to know where the truth lies. Nonetheless, this goal has become very competitive. These funny posts have a sharp political force as they disperse quickly in seconds. Even governmental institutions rarely possess this extent of potential to influence society. Therefore, political parties use memes as weapons to deal with opposing parties. This mostly happens when political events are near, such as elections.

Additionally, a video has been circulating on social media where Maryam Aurangzeb, a Pakistani politician and senior minister in the government of Punjab, confirmed that the Punjab government purchased a 19-seater Gulfstream G500 jet. People are turning clips into memes and replacing her face with a frog in the video. This can influence how people perceive political figures. For instance, a supporter of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) party may begin to view the party more critically due to such content. This demonstrates how memes can shape public opinion through emotion and humour, regardless of whether viewers verify the original context.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, memes do indeed have advantages and allow political discourse on a great level. Nevertheless, this has become a negative magnet that pulls people with a great force. Memes are a valuable source of humour but should not spread misinformation disguised as humour. Subsequently, people should try to verify the information they get through social posts to resist the spread of misinformation. Otherwise, humankind will always stay one step behind the truth.