In today’s time the first news update we see is not a on TV or newspaper but meme pages on Instagram, X, Reddit.
A bold caption with an image often becomes our first introduction to a serious issue.

Why Memes grab attention

As we know that nowadays we have a very low attention span and we live in a crowded attention economy. Every second , our brain is flooded with videos, posts and too many notifications. In this chaos.. memes stand out because they are quick, emotional, relatable and entertaining.

Where article needs your attention and demands time and patience, memes deliver instant connection and understanding in a few seconds.
That’s why this generation’s audience naturally attract towards it.

Humor becomes a news filter

A larger audience encounters news for the first time through memes. If memes contain jokes about elections, inflation, or any world events, not only does it make people laugh, it also shows there is something significant going on. Humor certainly lightens the mood with the topic and makes the issue at hand easier to discuss. It also helps create a communal experience where the whole world is going through the same experience, especially when there is a meme that is trending on all social media.

Changes in The Industry

A lot of older news companies are also starting to use memes in their posts. Older news outlets used to shy away from using memes, but they now understand that memes have value. They are more than a simple joke, they are a way to get people to engage with the content and are a way to get people to want to learn more.

Problematic Part of this new habit

A lot of the time people will engage with a meme that have not done enough research on the topic , not enough context. This is very problematic because their understanding of the topic will be very surface level.

The Conclusion

Memes have not replaced journalism, but they have introduced a new way to engage with journalism. They are a way to get the audience familiar with a topic using humor. However, it is important to also seek the deeper issues that are not addressed in the posts to get a deeper understanding of the issue.