Issue #7: What do you meme it's not funny?

It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the start of this decade has been one of the most tumultuous times in recent human history. We’ve witnessed a global pandemic, heightened nuclear war threats, and extreme weather events. During this period of peak uncertainty, the pandemic prevented us from seeing our friends and family. Many of us turned to social media to numb the pains of loneliness and ease the anxiety that comes with uncertainty. When it seemed like the world around us was collapsing, we turned to humour. We shared jokes and memes with our social media connections. That was how we coped.

Humour is like a pressure relief valve that helps us discharge pent-up tensions that build up when in difficult situations, so it makes sense that it is a favoured tool. However, humour is often abused, and I have seen this countless times over the last few days. As the situation in Eastern Europe unfolds and continues to deteriorate, many on social media, far away from the conflict, thought it wise to make jokes about the situation. They shared memes that racked up engagement, and when these people were called out for being insensitive, their common retort is that it is dark humour and a coping mechanism. But how exactly is it a coping mechanism when you are far away from the scene? What exactly are you coping with? It is acceptable and often helpful for people in those difficult positions to make jokes about their situations, but it is utterly insensitive for someone else to laugh at their pain. Let us not mince words.

In October of 2020, Nigerians, including myself, organised and protested against the abuse of power by the Nigerian Police. Unfortunately, the protests were cut short when the Nigerian Army shot and killed unarmed protesters. It was one of our country’s darkest moments, and I don’t think we would have seen the funny side had someone, say a non-Nigerian, decided to make light of what we were going through. Yet, I saw Nigerians make insensitive jokes about the current situations in Eastern Europe. Why do we joke about other people’s pain? 

One explanation is that we have become addicted to the dopamine release we get when our social media posts get engagement. Everything has become fodder for jokes, and we don’t know where to draw the line. Nothing is off limits these days. It is like we forget that there are people with real fears and pains involved in the situations we make light of. 

Psychic numbing is another reason I believe we now struggle to empathise with other people’s sufferings. There is a limit to human compassion. We become overwhelmed and care less when we become repeatedly exposed to many people’s woes. Being constantly online and being fed a barrage of bad news inadvertently erodes our empathy. We have become desensitised to human suffering. That is why it is often recommended to take regular breaks from social media and turn off the news. Take a break, your mind needs it.

The future of our world is currently uncertain, and the next few days are crucial. We will need to rely on our coping mechanisms more than ever before, but while we make jokes to deal with it, let us be mindful not to be insensitive. We can all do better.