Memes Have Consequences

In our rapid-fire world, information moves at a fast pace. If we have anything to say, it better be “meme-able.” Recently I’ve become annoyed with the avalanche of GIFs, memes, and 3 second animations flooding new and social media sites. Now I’m not going to lie and say I’ve never laughed at a grumpy cat meme; however, their vast monopoly on social media is an example of the problematic way we discuss important issues today. Memes are irritating because they seem to demand agreement and laughter, but also because they often make political or philosophical assertions without providing any substantial argument or evidence.

Plato’s Thaetus beautifully illustrates why the search for truth demands thought and deliberation. In the dialogue, Thaetus, a young seeker of truth, asks Socrates if anything we know can be certain. Although the question of what can be known remains open at the end of the dialogue, it does not mean that the wise philosopher is cynical about the knowability of truth. Precisely because Socrates respected reason, he rejected the ‘meme’ of his age when it did not hold up to scrutiny.

Virtual reality pioneer Jargon Lanier laments in his book, You Are Not a Gadget, that the online culture has “entered into a nostalgic malaise .  .  . dominated by trivial mashups of the culture that existed before the onset of mashups, and by fandom responding to the dwindling outposts of centralized mass media. It is a culture of reaction without action.” Lanier adds, “People will accept ideas presented in technological form that would be abhorrent in any other form.”

In a world where radically different ethical and philosophical systems are flippantly thrown about twitter or Facebook, it’s no wonder so many people call themselves relativists. Instead of using words to carefully craft an argument and think through a complex issue, people can simply ‘like’ a page or ‘share’ a meme to express their beliefs. This passive participation in important issues discourages further dialogue and debate. The recent Wendy Davis and George Zimmerman meme exchanges illustrate a debate almost vapid of critical analysis.

In the novel 1984, George Orwell illustrates how replacing words cripples our ability to think, “Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end, we shall make Thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it.”

So next time you want to a GIF, meme, or animation, think about adding your own reflection to it. Memes have their place, but the hard work of careful thinking cannot be replaced by a meme. Words can be beautiful and transcendent in a way that memes cannot. In the spirit of Socrates, we should not underestimate the humanizing power in crafting our own arguments with precision and analysis.