Have you ever found yourself feeling down in the dumps, decided to scroll through a bunch of random memes, and suddenly felt better? Even if only for a short while… That’s because a good, hilarious meme has the potential to lift your spirits, make you feel seen, and inject some much-needed humor into an otherwise dark situation. Research shows that memes can even destigmatise depression, and help those suffering feel a sense of community.
We've discovered an IG page filled with random but relatable memes. The fact that it has clocked up over 1.4 million followers says something... Whether you're feeling happy or sad, or maybe just looking for a reason to procrastinate, there should be something for you on the BruhIFunny Instagram page. Bored Panda has gone through thousands of the posts to select a list of the best. Don't forget to upvote the ones that made you spit out your morning coffee.
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The University of Westminster likens memes to fast-food media. “They are like cheeseburgers – highly tempting in colour, smell and texture, but low in nutritional value,” notes the website. “They feed you up a bit (on the news agenda), but you really need a decent meal (or reading a respected newspaper) to nurture your body and mind.”
Nevertheless, just like fast food, memes are here to stay. The University explains that people see, understand and respond to images way faster than we do to text. And some mental health experts believe that’s a great thing.
I would save the packaging, cook the meat, go in search of the type of people that would put that kind of label on the package in the first place, and consume it front of those people while holding up the little picture and telling them all how delicious Chole is. I don't even really eat much meat anymore, beef least of all, maybe twice in the past 18 months....but this kind of thing just pisses me off.
LA-based psychologist Theodora Blanchfield sees memes as a helpful part of someone’s healing journey. Blanchfield says memes get “trivialized and disparaged”, but they can play an important role in an age where a lot of our communication is done digitally.
Memes allow people to share their thoughts and feelings quickly, and can help create a sense of community and connection, especially during dark times.
The therapist says her clients sometimes send her memes. “I’m grateful that my friends and clients have used memes to communicate with me in order to say the hard things—to make jokes about their traumas or an element of dealing with chronic depression, for example,” writes Blanchfield.
She adds that finding humor during difficult times can help us to get through by taking “some of the power away from these otherwise taboo feelings.”
Blanchfield says that humor is one of her favorite therapeutic tools. “Laughing is every bit as much of an emotional and physical release as crying. Plus, I firmly believe that sometimes life is just too absurd not to laugh at.”
And she’s not the only expert to laud the power of laughter and relatable memes in the quest for mental wellness...
On a dark snowy Monday 1st in July, we found out that he forgot about the leap year...
A 2020 research paper found that online memes can help those with depression to cope with their symptoms. If you've ever had depression, you might have found it difficult to leave the house, socialize, or even get out of bed. You possibly didn't want to talk about your emotions or feelings. Or maybe you felt like a burden to those around you.
“With memes, depressed people can share their experience in a simple way – possibly even allowing depressed people to form socially supportive and emotional bonds with others,” revealed one of the researchers, Dr. Umair Akram. “It might also help them feel less alone in their experience with depression.”
The experts at digital marketing agency Pennington Creative believe the popularity of memes lies within their ability to create a sense of community. They liken memes to inside jokes. “Your knowledge of a shared joke makes you part of a specific community and ties you together with the other people who are in on it,” notes their site.
The guys at Pennington say memes can make people feel socially accepted, especially if a meme you share gets shared again and again among your social group.
"It’s a reconfirmation of your place within your community," they write. "Memes offer a little bit of human connection in the digital realm, which can otherwise feel cold and isolating, just like an inside joke can in offline world."
Toast is like cheese. There is no such thing as too much.
So whether you've been scrolling through this list of random memes as a means to lift your spirits, whether you've used them as a way to beat boredom, or pass time while trying to look busy at work, don't feel bad. There seems to be enough expert opinion on the benefits of memes on your mental health. And we at Bored Panda want you to be happy!
When was this posted?? I secretly want to judge on how long that xmas wreath has been on the door
Ok, secret to restaurant quality fries at home. 1) You have to use a STARCHY potato. 2) Peel and cut potatoes into french fries (shoestring cut ftw) 3) Put a pot of water onto boil, with 1/2 cup of vinegar and 5g salt while you 4) Soak your fries in room temp water for 5 minutes, drain and repeat until the water stays CLEAR 5) When your pot of water reaches a rolling boil, add your raw fries to the pot, boil for 4-5 minutes, 6) drain the water, lay your fries out on a tea towel blot dry and allow to cool. 7) Once fully cooled and dry, toss in a bit of cornstarch (to prevent sticking) place in bag and FREEZE them, at least 4 hours ideally over night. That's the whole deal. Boiling expands the starches, vinegar prevents browning, freezing creates ice crystals, which further expand the starches and give texture to the exterior of the fry. If you want to toss them in seasoning or batter before freezing, you can do that. If you want to do the fancy double fry method.....
Me if being unable to keep my mouth shut and making constant pop culture references was a job.
Poll Question
Do you find that scrolling through random memes makes you feel part of a community?
Yes, it's relatable
Sometimes
Not really
Never thought about it