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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/22/sharing-political-memes-isnt-as-frivolous-as-it-seems
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| Sharing political memes isn't as frivolous as it seems | Sharing political memes isn't as frivolous as it seems |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Just before the French Revolution, a flood of what we would | Just before the French Revolution, a flood of what we would |
| now call memes swirled through the social networks of Paris. Obscene cartoons, jokes, | now call memes swirled through the social networks of Paris. Obscene cartoons, jokes, |
| songs and thousands of scandal sheets were the vehicle for circulating news, gossip | songs and thousands of scandal sheets were the vehicle for circulating news, gossip |
| and anecdotes about the ancien régime, from Marie Antoinette’s athletic sexual | and anecdotes about the ancien régime, from Marie Antoinette’s athletic sexual |
| escapades to tales of gambling, corruption and despotism at court. Together, they | escapades to tales of gambling, corruption and despotism at court. Together, they |
| told a simple, compelling story of a wicked political order that had to be changed. | told a simple, compelling story of a wicked political order that had to be changed. |
| Today, we also use memes to think about the behaviour | Today, we also use memes to think about the behaviour |
| of the political class. They are not quite so detested as the aristocracy in | of the political class. They are not quite so detested as the aristocracy in |
| pre-Revolutionary France, but are still significantly less well-regarded than Vegemite’s | pre-Revolutionary France, but are still significantly less well-regarded than Vegemite’s |
| iSnack 2.0 at the nadir of its popularity. | iSnack 2.0 at the nadir of its popularity. |
| Since Australia’s federal budget was | Since Australia’s federal budget was |
| released last Tuesday, a swarm of memes has spread across social media, focused | released last Tuesday, a swarm of memes has spread across social media, focused |
| on everything from treasurer Joe Hockey’s pre-budget dance and penchant for | on everything from treasurer Joe Hockey’s pre-budget dance and penchant for |
| cigars to the revelation that funding for ballet schools would be increased at | cigars to the revelation that funding for ballet schools would be increased at |
| the expense of the poor, sick and unemployed. | the expense of the poor, sick and unemployed. |
| My favourite comment about the Hockey/Cormann cigar photo goes to @JaneCaro, so it's now a meme! #AusPol pic.twitter.com/1omCMXPXIh | My favourite comment about the Hockey/Cormann cigar photo goes to @JaneCaro, so it's now a meme! #AusPol pic.twitter.com/1omCMXPXIh |
| Sharing striking political images, videos and stories on | Sharing striking political images, videos and stories on |
| social media is now an everyday feature of our lives. Yet it is often regarded | social media is now an everyday feature of our lives. Yet it is often regarded |
| by those on the left as frivolous, empty | by those on the left as frivolous, empty |
| symbolism, a claim echoed by social media skeptics such as Malcolm | symbolism, a claim echoed by social media skeptics such as Malcolm |
| Gladwell and Evgeny Morozov. Lazy slactivism, we are told, distracts us from changing | Gladwell and Evgeny Morozov. Lazy slactivism, we are told, distracts us from changing |
| things “in the real world”. | things “in the real world”. |
| I think this is a classic case of digital dualism: the mistaken idea that our lives are divided into a | I think this is a classic case of digital dualism: the mistaken idea that our lives are divided into a |
| phoney online experience and an authentic offline world, when both are | phoney online experience and an authentic offline world, when both are |
| thoroughly enmeshed. In fact, according to Ariadne Vromen, a political scientist from the | thoroughly enmeshed. In fact, according to Ariadne Vromen, a political scientist from the |
| University of Sydney, swapping political content online can be a vital | University of Sydney, swapping political content online can be a vital |
| building block of a much wider campaign: “It helps to build a shared sense of | building block of a much wider campaign: “It helps to build a shared sense of |
| emotion,” she says. Memes and hashtags let us knit together disparate events, creating a cohesive narrative that resonates deeply with us. That makes them an indispensable tool for large crowds to self-organise, as seen in the March in May rallies. | emotion,” she says. Memes and hashtags let us knit together disparate events, creating a cohesive narrative that resonates deeply with us. That makes them an indispensable tool for large crowds to self-organise, as seen in the March in May rallies. |
| Miss me now? #ThreeWordBudget pic.twitter.com/TDYm015JZw | Miss me now? #ThreeWordBudget pic.twitter.com/TDYm015JZw |
| Vromen that social media also permits political | |
| participation by those who would never dream of attending the March in May | participation by those who would never dream of attending the March in May |
| (only 15% of Australians have ever been to a protest, much | (only 15% of Australians have ever been to a protest, much |
| lower than many European nations). “Finding these other ways to communicate | lower than many European nations). “Finding these other ways to communicate |
| with one another, with people who think in the same way as you, is really | with one another, with people who think in the same way as you, is really |
| important,” she says. | important,” she says. |
| Social | Social |
| media not only helps us share emotion with like-minded peers but also disseminate | media not only helps us share emotion with like-minded peers but also disseminate |
| news and information that may otherwise go | news and information that may otherwise go |
| unnoticed. Nowadays two-thirds of young people first | unnoticed. Nowadays two-thirds of young people first |
| hear about major news on social media, says Vromen. It’s no wonder her research has found that social | hear about major news on social media, says Vromen. It’s no wonder her research has found that social |
| media use is strongly correlated with young people’s political engagement. | media use is strongly correlated with young people’s political engagement. |
| Humble | Humble |
| memes can also provide an entry point into understanding complex ideas and | memes can also provide an entry point into understanding complex ideas and |
| systemic problems. Satirist Simon Hunt, whose alter ego Pauline Pantsdown is a | systemic problems. Satirist Simon Hunt, whose alter ego Pauline Pantsdown is a |
| profilic source of political memes on Facebook and Twitter, says he looks for striking juxtapositions and | profilic source of political memes on Facebook and Twitter, says he looks for striking juxtapositions and |
| absurdities as a way to invite engagement on complicated issues. | absurdities as a way to invite engagement on complicated issues. |
| Hunt | Hunt |
| believes that online memes are actually well-suited to conveying the breadth of | believes that online memes are actually well-suited to conveying the breadth of |
| multi-faceted news stories such as the budget, with its vast implications for many | multi-faceted news stories such as the budget, with its vast implications for many |
| different marginalised groups. “The more complex politics becomes, the more | different marginalised groups. “The more complex politics becomes, the more |
| that the ability of social media to create multiple framings of the news into | that the ability of social media to create multiple framings of the news into |
| easily understood ideas becomes important,” he explains. | easily understood ideas becomes important,” he explains. |
| Memes can | Memes can |
| also, potentially, help to change minds. That’s because platforms such as | also, potentially, help to change minds. That’s because platforms such as |
| Facebook give us the unique ability to share ideas among acquaintances or distant | Facebook give us the unique ability to share ideas among acquaintances or distant |
| relatives well outside our immediate social circle, says Vromen (though when trying to persuade those with opposing views, we might be wise to build | relatives well outside our immediate social circle, says Vromen (though when trying to persuade those with opposing views, we might be wise to build |
| common ground rather than accentuating our differences, according to one theory of persuasion). | common ground rather than accentuating our differences, according to one theory of persuasion). |
| We shouldn’t overstate the ability of memes or hashtags to change the world. Some research suggests that token online gestures | We shouldn’t overstate the ability of memes or hashtags to change the world. Some research suggests that token online gestures |
| might lead to a lack of support for | might lead to a lack of support for |
| greater commitments, like donating to a campaign, due to a feeling that we’ve done | greater commitments, like donating to a campaign, due to a feeling that we’ve done |
| enough. And even when social media does help to generate mass protests, the | enough. And even when social media does help to generate mass protests, the |
| movement won’t necessarily achieve its goals; the | movement won’t necessarily achieve its goals; the |
| Gezi protests in Turkey have done nothing to dislodge prime minister Erdoğan from | Gezi protests in Turkey have done nothing to dislodge prime minister Erdoğan from |
| power. | power. |
| Yet while | Yet while |
| civic engagement on social media may not trigger a revolution that transforms | civic engagement on social media may not trigger a revolution that transforms |
| our political class, it can certainly help to marshal a crowd at the gates of | our political class, it can certainly help to marshal a crowd at the gates of |
| the Bastille. | the Bastille. |