Over the past decade, social media has exploded. Whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other website or app, people are glued to their computers and phones.
When it comes to the 2016 political season, many people can’t help but get in on the action, and many are doing it by creating and sharing memes.
Memes are images that generally use text to make fun of, or highlight a certain topic.
“It’s either critical talk about the candidate they don’t like or it’s just funny stuff.” Dr. Chris Gonzalez, associate professor of psychology at Lipscomb University, said, adding that there are more memes now than ever. “The proliferation of memes is much greater now than it was four years ago.”
But just because the memes are being shared by thousands of people, does that mean the memes have any political stake?
“I think the memes are something that will reinforce what people already believe.” Dr. Marc Schwerdt, assistant professor of political science at Lipscomb University, explained. “I’m really not sure it’s one of those things that can cause a conversation from one candidate to another.”
The question that has yet to be answered is: Will these social media posts help bring more people to the polls to vote for a candidate?
Gonzalez hopes if that’s not the case, that at least this will help people get more politically engaged. “Maybe they’re not a voter, but maybe this is an entry-level of being politically engaged, where in four years, they turn into a voter.”
