Internet memes are mostly used as means of communicating harmless, good-hearted jokes. Their format is very simple: an image and a few words meant to transmit a message. There are many famous templates that are easily editable; this simplicity in design is surely what has made memes so popular.
In recent years, however, they have become increasingly weaponized by groups with political and ideological agendas. Humour is an essential tool in politics, and in this era of social media, it is unsurprising that internet memes have become vehicles to propagate certain types of ideas. In fact, recent events such as the 2016 US election have shown that mastering memetic warfare is now essential when attempting to sway public opinion.
A cleverly crafted meme that is intended for propaganda purposes can easily blend in with the great mass of inoffensive memes shared online. During the 2016 US election, the Pepe the Frog template was hijacked by the alt-right and used to spread pro-Trump messages into the mainstream. This type of hostile takeover of widely used meme templates is very effective, as the public is already acquainted with their format and will likely try to understand the message that is being shared. It’s a crafty way of forcing political propaganda on an unsuspecting public.
Online forums like Reddit and 4Chan churn out political memes on an industrial level because they allow users to promote their favourite posts. With this system, the most effective memes end up being the most popular. In her book The Meme Machine, Susan Blackmore describes the selection process of memes as such:
“There is enormous selection pressure, and therefore very few survivors from among the very many starters. Only a few memes are successfully copied from brain to brain […]. The ones we regularly meet are the successful ones – the ones that made it in the competition for replication.”
Biologist Richard Dawkins invented the term meme but his definition applied to any cultural element of a society that can replicate, such as fashion and music. Humans are not perfect replicators, so variation is included in the transmission of memes, which leads to the creation of new ones. Dawkins compares the dissemination and survival of memes to natural selection: only those that can adapt and replicate effectively survive.
Blackmore and Dawkins’ definitions of memes help us understand why memes are an effective political tool: an unconscious vetting process, similar to that of Adam Smith’s invisible hand, ensures that the most popular memes are the most effective at swaying opinions.
Traditional propaganda targets a broad audience by being easy to understand. The use of internet memes for political purposes is revolutionary for the following reasons:
- Initiation: a meme contains very little information and no explanation. It is up to the viewer to use his personal experience and knowledge to understand the message. Therefore, a certain degree of initiation and understanding is often required.
- Exclusivity: due to the level of initiation needed, it is possible to feel left out when a meme is utterly incomprehensible. This may push the viewer to take an interest in the message being conveyed, thereby exposing him to new political ideas.
- Group inclusion: when an individual understands a meme, he will naturally feel a sense of belonging and acceptance. This is most effective with people that are left out and vulnerable.
It may seem a little extreme to think that political memes are a new form of propaganda. However, the matter is taken very seriously. In fact, NATO published a paper called “It’s time to embrace memetic warfare”. The term memetic warfare is defined as:
“The war over narrative, aggressively delivered through guerilla online communications. […] It is competition over narrative, ideas, and social control in a social-media battlefield.”
According to the report, the government of Russia uses internet memes offensively, and has done so during its conflict in Ukraine and to influence domestic affairs in the United States. Therefore, it concludes that NATO must embrace the memetic mindset alongside its regular military activities.
Memetic warfare seeks domination of the narrative at all costs, even by using dirty tactics. It has been proven to be a very effective way of swaying and even dominating the political discourse. It is likely that as memetic warfare intensifies, the art of creating memes will become more intricate and sophisticated.
Léon Eversham
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