Task 2 – Amiyah Donaldson

Destructive Social Media Meme:

The meme shows Squidward from SpongeBob SquarePants, which was my all-time favorite show to watch growing up, sitting comfortably in bed, dressed in pajamas and happily reading a book. The humor comes from the contrast between Squidward’s calm and happy appearance and the reality of mindlessly scrolling through social media late at night. The meme points out how people often convince themselves that the content they are consuming is valuable, even when it is usually just a distraction.

When choosing a meme for this task, I went with this SpongeBob one because it fits perfectly with one of the topics we have been discussing: the negative effects of social media, specifically its impact on sleep. This meme captures how we often stay up late, scrolling through our phones instead of getting the rest we need and require to properly function on a day-to-day basis. The quote “Ah yes quality content” adds humor because, in reality, the content we are consuming is not all that great, it is just created to keep us hooked and wanting more, making it harder to put our phones down and go to sleep.

Alternative Meme (created with Canva):

The meme that I created to combat the destructive one is also SpongeBob related because I felt it made sense to stick with the same theme. I also think keeping the concept consistent adds to the humor. Since SpongeBob is known for his iconic phrase, “I’m ready!”, I thought it would be appropriate and even funnier to include that in my meme. It adds a playful touch while staying true to the character’s energy and optimism. I think that it would get the point across to viewers the benefits of staying off your phone at night and getting some sleep.

When thinking about the viral quality of this meme, I think that it would get the same amount of attention as the other more destructive meme because they are both relatable. People can easily identify with the experiences of staying up late and mindlessly scrolling versus getting some much-needed rest.

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What to do?

In order for us to have more good news or uplifting content traveling faster than bad news, we need to effectively change both our digital ecosystem and cultural values. Social media platforms could adjust their algorithms to highlight and show more positive content, while promoting a culture that values and actively shares uplifting stories, behaviors, communication, etc. Communication organizations should focus on positive news and provide a balanced mix of content. I believe that this can help tremendously because there is a plethora of positive and useful information and content that isn’t shared enough. By aligning technology, culture, and media practices, we can shift the focus towards more encouraging and constructive information.