Meme-Aided Desensitization: Violent Meme Culture and the Decline of Adolescent Empathy

As memes become an integral part of adolescent communication, an important question arises: what impact do these memes have on the average adolescent? Although prior literature has intensively analyzed the relationship between the consumption of violent media and the development of aggression and desensitization, there remains a lack of research on the potential effects of memes.

Memes differ from other forms of content researched in that they inherently require active engagement and sharing between users. In addition, memes have become a staple of daily life, especially as a primary means of communication among the youth.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a correlation exists between desensitization and interaction with dark-humor-based memes among adolescents in the Western United States. The study was conducted through a comprehensive survey disseminated through Google Forms that utilized the Likert Scale for various questions to measure levels of desensitization and discomfort of the participants when viewing a dataset of 10 memes, composed of dark humor and non-dark humor memes.

Analysis of responses from the 26 participants found a slight correlation between the two factors, though a potential relationship between desensitization and non-dark-humor memes was also identified, alongside a link between peer influence and one’s willingness to pursue dark humor. Limitations of this study include its findings being focused solely on reflecting short-term impacts, limited diversity of participants, and self-reporter bias. However, the findings of this study present significant ramifications for the future of education, parenting practices, and current understandings of pediatric psychology.