Memes as a Low-Effort Form of Communication (vent)

[Toxic Positivity]

As I move through recovery, and try to be a thinking person, lately I have a revulsion to low-effort memes (most memes) as a form of communication and as a way for friends to keep in touch.

There is a hard limit on the information that can be encoded into an image that fits on a phone screen, which, realistically, is the format of most memes. This encourages simplification of complex ideas to the point where they often become unrecognizable caricatures of themselves. VIbes and feelings are prioritized over any actual reasoning, for the most part, and appeals to humor become, inappropriately, the way to boil down concepts the likes of which, as mentioned, lose all of their contours in the process.

Normalize texting your friend a cool idea you had. Normalize sending them a photo of a cool cloud. I'll take almost anything at this point, as long as it comes from a person, and not a person behaving like a curation algorithm. We don't need anymore memes. I don't.

I guess where this ties into recovery is that, part of recovery is questioning everything that is default. Since I've been suicidal and negative for so long, many of my own core beliefs have become worth examination and adjustment, so this habit extends to much of the run-of-the-mill, normal behavior I see around me. If I am putting effort forth, including in communication with friends, I definitely want that back in return, for the benefit of all. No more laziness, please!

 

[Sulyya]

Depends on the person. With family and friends I avoid discussion about my mental health, and theirs. People knowing my crap makes me anxious beyond being manageable and so does worrying for others. The right people gotta share with the right people imo

 

[EvisceratedJester]

Normalize texting your friend a cool idea you had. Normalize sending them a photo of a cool cloud.

 

[Serial Experi Pain]

 

[Imagined_Euphoria]

My reaction to this post. I think this says enough

 

[Voyage]

Uncanny how shallow relationships have become. Sometimes you can't help feeling that you're interacting with an NPC, as dehumanising as that sounds.

 

[Ironborn]

 

[Hvergelmir]

It's indeed a disgrace, and a testament to peoples stupidity.

 

[Al Gul]

I've had a few friends who really delve into only communicating through memes. I'm not saying everyone does it for the same reasons but, coaxing them into more meaningful interactions made it really clear to me. They're masking anxieties and fears, or are sometimes just not available for anything deeper but don't want to offend or insult by ignoring. I get it though, it can be quite frustrating when you want a different... Form? of communication.