After the 2019 rollercoaster filled with natural disasters as well as governments all over the world driving nations into the ground, the world was waiting with optimism to start afresh in 2020.
People entered the new decade with anticipation and excitement.
But 2020 had other plans and the possibility of WW3 in only the first week of the year really set the tone for what the rest of the year had left in store for humanity.
You must be thinking, “Surely, the threat of another World War has to be the scariest thing to have happened this year.”
So did we and yet, 2020 somehow managed to top that while also doing damages on a smaller scale.
How is any of this relevant to memes?
Because memes are one of the biggest reasons why millennials and Gen Z kids on the internet have been able to cope with how this year is going.
Regardless of whether or not we’re affected by it directly, constantly seeing posts about these disasters can be extremely distressing — especially since this generation is next in line to be in positions of power and will have to deal with these crises and the long-term after-effects that follow.
Throughout history, humor has played the role of a shared release in the darkest of times. The element of relatability that memes possess is helping the people of the internet get through these disasters.
The idea of making jokes about situations like these may not seem appropriate but the purpose of these memes is not to erase the gravity of these tragedies. Rather, it’s about bringing them to light in a humorous way.
Also, memes are extremely accessible.
And it’s much easier to educate people and spread a word about current happenings when they’re laughing.
For example, when the continent was (quite literally) burning, the Prime Minister of Australia decided to take a trip to Hawaii and teens decided to raise awareness about the inefficiency and ignorance of the governmental system in Australia by posting TikToks mocking him. The TikToks went viral because they brought to light this issue in a humorous manner.
@tommyeyers Scomo likes pina coladas 🍸 ##scomo ##scottmorrison ##nswbushfire ##australia ##australianbushfires
♬ original sound - tommyeyers
With everyone being forced to stay indoors, the memes about the cursed year cancelling everyone’s plans are one of the most famous meme templates doing the rounds.
Netflix and Zomato surely recognize the gravity of the situation!
At the end, before concluding this 2020 disaster-meme list, we just have one thing to say:
Right now, people are spending more time on social media consuming memes, than ever.
So even though the year is cursed, there has probably never been a better time for brands to explore what Meme Marketing can bring on the table.
For more on Memes and Marketing – read out WTF is Meme Marketing
Article written by Yusra Ahmed