Nowadays, it’s impossible to use the internet without running into memes. No one can deny that they are a big part of internet culture. There are countless meme pages online, and today, we’re going to look at one of them: @needless.mp3.
While some pages focus on specific topics, others—like @needless.mp3—include more random themes. Well, you can't say it's a bad idea. The more diverse your memes are, the more the audience will be interested in your page. That's how today’s page managed to collect over 570K followers since May of 2021, which is not bad, is it?
Today’s list is made up of memes from these exact pages. So, go vote with your upvote and downvote buttons to decide whether, in your opinion, these memes are funny or not.
Speaking of memes overall, although it’s hard to pin down the exact moment they became a thing, the term’s origin has been credited to evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and his 1976 book, The Selfish Gene. His explanation could be interpreted as a self-replicating chunk of information because humans like to share and repeat stuff. So, think of an inside joke or an advertising jingle.
Of course, over time, the term “meme” evolved, especially due to the rise of the internet and its culture. Now, when you Google the definition of a meme, it is still along the lines of replicating information, but usually, it’s added that it is online and is meant to spread some idea or joke. In a way, they are a form of universal language.
Knowing that memes are a powerful medium for spreading ideas, we should be wary that sometimes those ideas can be far from innocent—dangerous, even.
For instance, the growth of incel ideas and communities. These people, usually straight white men, define themselves as “involuntary celibate.” Typically, for their inability to find a romantic or intimate partner, they blame, objectify, and denigrate women and girls.
Then, with the help of memes, many harmful challenges were born. For example, kids eating tide pods landed them in the hospital. Or the “Kiki” challenge, back in 2018, where people jumped out of moving cars to dance to Drake’s song "In My Feelings" and ended up crashing into poles, tripping on potholes, or even being hit by cars.
We’re not even going to expand upon how memes can influence various political ideas, influence elections, and the state of the world along with it.
By all means, we’re not saying you shouldn’t indulge in memes. They can be a precious entertainment source that can help you to bond with other people. Yet, sometimes evaluating what kind of memes (and what hidden message they might carry) you’re enjoying is important. After all, challenging your critical thinking skills is never a bad thing, especially nowadays, when we are in such a rapid decline, right?
Now, go enjoy the meme list, and if you’re in the mood, take a moment to think what the author’s intentions behind them might have been.
