One of the more popular memes circulating on different social media platforms is a meme that depicts a photo of a happy dolphin with the upbeat song, “Symphony” by Zara Larsson, playing in the background with numerous different captions. The caption is intended to be something that gives you a similar feeling to the one that the dolphin in the photo is portraying. The particular example I chose for this assignment has the caption “i love getting blackout drunk”. This suggests that those who can relate to this meme have a positive association with “blacking out”. Blacking out refers to a state of memory loss caused by an excessive amount of alcohol consumption, which can lead to some problematic consequences. When this much alcohol is consumed, it impairs the brain’s ability to form new memories. This can lead to severe physical and mental health risks, as well as legal and social consequences due to the behavior one might exhibit in this state.
Alcoholism is not a joke nor something that should be promoted by media. It is a serious condition that can affect the individual as well as their families and loved ones intensely. When jokes, like the one displayed above, are shared around and normalized it not only minimizes the condition but influences harmful behavior. Those struggling with this condition might feel harmed or even mocked by jokes like this.
To put more of a positive spin on this trend, I decided to create my own with a more positive caption, as well as something that I can relate to. “Protecting your peace” is another way to say that you “protect” and care for your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. Some examples of this could be practicing mindfulness, self care, setting boundaries, doing things that make you happy, etc. These are all heathy habits that can lead to a great personal life, full of balance and peace. I think this meme could go just as viral as the original one. I have seen some memes of similar nature that went viral, talking about going to bed early, getting good grades, etc. If it did go viral, I think it would still be targeted towards young adults, however it might be those that have good practices rather than those who do not.
In order for good news or uplifting content to travel faster and farther than bad news, we would have to create a new algorithm. The social media companies could slightly tweak the algorithm so that you still receive the content recommended for you, but there would just be more uplifting content. Also, if the companies were more transparent about how the algorithms work and which content is more prioritized, it could lead to some changes. Not only would the user see better content on a daily basis, the users would also be more trustful of the social media platforms due to their honesty.