What are memes? How are they useful to us and the work we do?

Memes are images or videos shared around the internet that poke fun at different subjects. Most commonly, they do this by making a reference to some existing media, using captions to provide specific context. A meme format or template is the basic image that is used to help deliver the punchline. For example, a particular photo of a celebrity’s funny facial expression might become the format of a meme that uses a caption to joke about why they must be making that face.

Memes allow sometimes serious topics to be discussed in a lighter tone, which means that people may feel more comfortable talking in the context of memes (this is why there are many memes which discuss mental health, for one example). Rarely are memes made with malicious intentions. Instead, they seek to bring awareness to our world’s issues, make discussion more accessible, and provide people with a sense of hope and unity.

Here are some examples of climate-related memes:

How do I get started? How do I make my own meme?

There are many ways to make a meme. Some people use an image editor to stitch together the elements that make up their meme (typically an image and some text). The easiest way, though, is using a meme creator app. One such app is Meme Generator Free. It’s available on both Apple and Android devices and has consistently updated meme formats, as well as the ability to make your own formats.

The most basic way to make a meme is choosing a relevant image, figuring out how you want to use that image to help deliver the punchline, and then adding captions to deliver that punchline. If you are having trouble understanding how a format is typically used, you can search the internet for examples of that meme to give you a basic idea.

Once you’ve made your meme, you can share it with whoever you want using the internet, social media, face to face, etc. There are even social media apps created specifically to share memes between users.