‘Addicted to Meme Culture’

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/20/opinion/addicted-to-meme-culture.html

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To the Editor:

Re “Why Are You Laughing?,” by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz (Sunday Review, May 15):

As a first-year college student, I am part of the millions of my generation who are addicted to meme culture. I follow more than 30 Instagram “meme accounts,” a combination of funny pictures mixed with relevant commentary.

My generation turns to memes — our version of “joke searches” — so that we can connect and relate.

Mr. Stephens-Davidowitz tries to make sense of “joke searches” by cross-referencing happiness and the day of the week. What he is missing is that people are not searching for “dad jokes” to be happier; they are searching such jokes because they want to relate to the people they share them with.

Relating might make them happier, but it’s about relating, and happiness is just a positive side effect.

ASHLEY PERLING

Nashville