Self-Deprecating Memes: Relatable But Kind of Pitiful

Hi, friends. Today, I want to talk about a trend I’ve noticed lately with memes on social media.

I’ve noticed a particular type of meme cropping up more and more. With this sort of meme, the jokes are more self-deprecating and/or unashamed of not-so-great personality traits/habits. Here are some examples–

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When I see these memes like these, I chuckle because of their relatability. Hey, how many of us are terrible procrastinators? Lol! How many of us feel accomplished for simply “adulting”? Ha! How many of us ladies are crazy jealous about our man? You said it, honey!

Once I’ve had my brief amusement, I’m left with a sour taste in my mouth. These memes are comical because they describe a lot of us, but the fact that many of us relate to these things is really kind of pitiful. Not being able to stick to goals, not being motivated or passionate about life, not being rational, whatever the case may be…though many of us experience these issues, I think we need to conquer them rather than celebrate them.

Some would say I’m reading too much into these memes–they are just meant to incite a laugh–nothing more, nothing less. I don’t want to come across as holier-than-thou; as I mentioned, I get a kick out of them, too. But I see the trend of the self-deprecating meme taking over. If I log on Facebook right now, at least half of the memes shared by my friends will fall under this umbrella. [All the examples above came from my FB friends.] I wonder if the mass saturation of the self-deprecating meme could satiate us into believing our short-comings aren’t short-comings after all, since everyone appears to share them.

I can, however, think of one positive aspect to these memes; at least if people know they don’t face their struggles alone, they can feel reassured that they aren’t failing at life. But we all have room for growth and self-improvement. I hope we don’t lose sight of that as we chuckle over our lack of drive, lack of ambition, lack of self-discipline, etc.

Are you insecure and jealous? Relatable…but let’s find healthy ways to address that. Are you a procrastinator? Relatable…but let’s work on time/task management. Are you tired of “adulting”? Relatable…but let’s figure out some life hacks to make it easier.

Thanks for reading! What’s your two cents? Let me know in the comments.

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