The Sneaky Truth About Memes

Part of memes’ appeal is that they can shrink complicated issues into easily digestible snapshots. But that’s also a reason for caution, says Jamie Cohen, assistant professor of media studies at CUNY Queens College in New York, New York. After all, meme creators decide which part of an issue to reveal—and in doing so, they can influence your opinion. 

For example, sports fans might make memes about their team’s biggest win—not mentioning that the team has lost every other game. People who don’t know any better might see those memes and assume that the team is one of the best. 

Part of the appeal of memes is that they can shrink complicated issues into simple snapshots. But that is also a reason for caution, says Jamie Cohen. He is an assistant professor of media studies at CUNY Queens College in New York, New York. After all, meme creators decide which part of an issue to reveal. In doing so, they can sway your opinion.

For example, sports fans might make memes about their team’s biggest win but not mention that the team has lost every other game. People who know nothing but what the meme shows might assume the team is one of the best.

Some creators go even further and use memes for disinformation—intentionally sharing false messages. They use the images, videos, and text to spread harmful ideas, such as prejudice against certain groups. 

That kind of content is not always easy to spot. Some is hidden as a word or symbol within innocent-looking memes. “The messages can only be read by an inside group” that knows what to look for, Cohen says. Users who share such memes end up promoting the negative message—often without realizing it. 

Even if you don’t click on hurtful memes, viewing negative content can still cause harm. Researchers have found that repeatedly seeing the same false information can make you more likely to believe it. 

Some creators go even further and use memes for disinformation. This is sharing false messages on purpose. They use the images, videos, and text to spread harmful ideas, such as prejudice against certain groups.

That kind of content is not always easy to spot. Some is hidden as a word or symbol within innocent-looking memes. “The messages can only be read by an inside group” that knows what to look for, Cohen says. Users who share such memes end up promoting the negative message. Often, they do not realize it.

Even if you do not click on hurtful memes, viewing negative content can still cause harm. Researchers have found that seeing the same false information again and again can make you more likely to believe it.

The best way to avoid sharing harmful memes is to trust your instincts, LaGarde says. Ask yourself: How does this make me feel? If a meme triggers a strong reaction—especially a negative one such as fear or anger—hold off. 

“If the emotion is really intense, and especially if it causes you to feel something negative about another person or group of people, that’s a sign that should make you think, ‘Hmm, I should stay away from this,’” LaGarde says. 

When your first reaction is to laugh, think about why—and whether a meme’s creator might be using humor to hide another message. One trick to figuring out a meme’s meaning is to put it in your own words, Cohen says.

When a meme includes something that sounds factual, read more about the topic from trustworthy sources, such as government or university websites. Then use your new knowledge to decide whether the meme seems accurate. (Just doing a search using a meme’s exact wording might pull up more content from the same creator, and not necessarily the truth.)

If you’re still not sure about a meme, err on the side of caution by not liking or sharing it, LaGarde says. “You may never be able to determine if that meme is 100 percent credible,” she explains. “But you can determine if there are too many red flags to engage with it.” 

This article was updated on 8/24/2021.

The best way to avoid sharing harmful memes is to trust your instincts, LaGarde says. Ask yourself: How does this make me feel? If a meme triggers a strong reaction, especially a negative one, such as fear or anger, hold off.

“If the emotion is really intense, and especially if it causes you to feel something negative about another person or group of people, that’s a sign that should make you think, ‘Hmm, I should stay away from this,’ ” LaGarde says.

When your first reaction is to laugh, think about why. Might the meme’s creator be using humor to hide another message? One trick to figuring out a meme’s meaning is to put it in your own words, Cohen says.

When a meme includes something that sounds factual, read more about the topic from trustworthy sources. Two options are government and university websites. Then use your new knowledge to decide whether the meme seems accurate. (Just doing a search using a meme’s exact wording might pull up more content from the same creator and not necessarily the truth.)

What if you are still not sure about a meme? Err on the side of caution by not liking or sharing it, LaGarde says. “You may never be able to determine if that meme is 100 percent credible,” she explains. “But you can determine if there are too many red flags to engage with it.”

This article was updated on 8/24/2021.