They aren’t made for me
In an attempt to keep up with internet culture and what my kid has been up to online, I subscribed to a bunch of subreddits dedicated to the INTERNET MEME.
If you don’t know what memes are, I don’t think this is the blog for you, but bless your little heart. You probably don’t know what Reddit is either. I hope you enjoy your tea at the senior center.
Strangely enough, I see very few memes posted in my social site feeds. Following mostly adults probably precludes me from being naturally served these little works of art. Memes seem to be the realm of those who search for karma points on Reddit. A whole culture exists around making memes, finding good ones and sharing them, and being abreast of all the current trends.
The culture isn’t without its wit. Some memes can be quite meta in nature, and can say very clever things about memes themselves. Often the more sly the joke, the more viral it becomes (in certain circles). I do love a clever meme.
Anyway, how I got started on this quest was at the request of my kid, who after a conversation about his feeds, suggested I follow more subreddits dedicated to sharing memes. At my request he steered me away from the misogynist and racist boards (as I asked him to stay away from too) and turned me toward boards like r/wholesomememes (which has 5 million subscribers).
Although some of the stories and jokes shared are mildly amusing, I’m simply too bored to keep up. Something about it speaks to a young brain, I guess, and not my old one? I’m not sure. Don’t get me wrong, I love many aspects of internet culture. r/wholesomememes is just one example of how humans can respond to hate and negativity with just the opposites. But as far as using it as a distractor to calm my racing brain or to serve up some inspiration, or for whatever reason we all end up falling down rabbit holes online, memes just don’t catch me. Perhaps the subject matter doesn’t relate directly to my life? I should search out subreddits for “writing memes” or “freelancing memes” or “20+ years of marriage” memes. Maybe then I’d feel the appeal. After all, the meme is all about finding that little piece of experience that you share with other people. It is about not feeling so alone.
I guess we just need more GenX memers. Get on that, Dear Peers. I need distraction that is made specifically for me. 😉