Key Takeaways
- Gen Z would rather scroll endlessly on X or Reddit, looking for memes that describe news flashes.
- Memes are the next level of human emotions for Gen Z, offering brutal truth and humor.
- Gen Z’s short attention span lends memes more appeal as they are fast, direct, and humorous.
Let’s be real, man; if you are looking for the latest headlines around the world, flipping through the newspaper, or listening to the 6 o’clock news in the current time and age, it doesn’t fly as it used to be anymore.
You are most likely scrolling through X tweets or looking out for the next SpongeBob meme that nails the current state of the economy and politics or tells the current event happening between two influential figures.
Welcome, bro, to the Gen Z world, where memes are not just funny but have become a focal point of truth for many, surpassing traditional media platforms.
Although it may sound ridiculous that a SpongeBob meme holds more trust than the mainstream media in the current age, upon closer examination of the memes used in the social media space, one becomes more surprised by the logic and virality of such memes.
While many people see memes as a comic for laughter, let’s dive deep into why memes have had more impact and influence on Gen Zs.
Language Appeal and Virality Of Memes To Gen Zs
Gen Z is the generation that grew up with WiFi, Video games, social media, and an endless love for memes as a basic human right.
Although funny and having gained the attraction of many Gen Zs, it has been identified as a cultural code, an expression of emotions, opinions, and key insights, sometimes hilarious, like SpongeBob or honest.
Just like an electric bypass, Gen Zs have broken down the walls of formal interaction, well-spoken English, and neutrality to a world of communication with just memes and navigating a world with so much information to take and completely blocking out the noise,
Memes have gained viral appeal among Gen Z because they are genuine, raw, and transparent, much like fellow humans.
For example, media outlets’ descriptions of an event are usually tedious, and a 1,000-word article on inflation tends to be boring and exhaustive for these generations.
With the help of memes, inflation can be described as:
Whereas the mainstream media feels distant, scripted, polished, and watered down.
Gen Z is not looking for perfection, as it may seem; they are looking for honesty and relatability.
While the media often covers up half-truths with jargon, memes are brutally honest for Gen Z and would tell you right away if you are not dressed properly.
Trust Issues For Gen Z
Mainstream media have suffered significant losses over the years due to misinformation, blowing stories out of proportion through clickbait, or as a result of political sentiment, leading to the downfall of some credible media outlets.
While these media platforms seek every opportunity to please their audiences, Gen Z grew up with the internet and understands clearly how the algorithm works, as many of these media companies are next-generation audience-pleasing machines and half-baked truth peddlers.
Memes, on the other hand, are 100% free, have no subscription, no ads, and are funny and fast.
Speed and Community-driven
The attention span of Gen Z is as short as a minion; no wonder. We are usually occupied with school work, side hustles, TikTok, X, and Discord. Sitting down to watch 5-mins news could seem like a waste of time or a luxury we can’t seem to afford.
However, with memes, at a glance, the information is passed, whether it is political, financial, or cultural, as memes compress complex ideas into simple, clear messages and eliminate an overload of information.
Finally, the memes are community-driven, allowing Gen Z to consume these memes within different niche communities, such as TikTok, X, Telegram, Reddit, and Discord servers.
The use of these memes within each community has fostered greater trust, relatability, and friendships.
Conclusion
Gen Z may trust memes over mainstream media because they are unbiased and real, as these memes are as transparent as possible.
Memes are fast, funny, and have a thriving community, which has helped build a sense of brotherhood among its members.
Memes used by Gen Z are survival strategies to filter the overload of information and shouldn’t be seen as meaningless by many.
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