Memes are one of the most recognizable forms of communication on the internet.
Whether users comment on politics, make fun of public figures or everyday situations, it seems like every subject can become material for entertainment.
As the culture continues to evolve, we must ask ourselves: Have memes desensitized society to recognizing the seriousness of true events?
There’s a toxic environment on social media where tragedies and controversies like Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jeffrey Epstein, Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Palestine and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks become memes almost immediately.
When does dark humor stop being commentary and become the erosion of decency?
Scandals like Epstein and Combs’ show how sexual exploitation, abuse and rape can become entertainment online instead of focusing on the victims and the seriousness of the events.
Following Combs’ federal trial in 2025, memes flooded social media, many using the slang term “diddyblud” to refer to other sexual predators.
Users mocked his infamous parties and turned severe allegations into satire, taking away gravity from real life victims by turning his name into a “boogeyman” or absurd punchline.
A 2023 study by the Association of Internet Researchers showed how memes about sex abuse can reinforce harmful attitudes toward abuse and remove significance from victims’ experiences.
Another case is Israel and its ongoing conflict with Palestine.
While criticism of the Israeli government’s actions are a legitimate form of political expression, some memes cross the line by using it to spread blatant antisemitism, conspiracy theories and harmful jokes that target Jewish people as a whole.
When prejudice is hidden as humor, it’s easier for the audience to dismiss it.
Slang terms like “goyslop”, which refers to the theory that Jewish elites use the production of overprocessed food to control the non-Jewish people, and “spiritually Israeli” which doesn’t mean anything besides “things I don’t like,” have become popular in recent years.
The Institute for Strategic Dialogue documented the widespread rise of antisemitic narratives online about Israel and Gaza.
In September of 2025, following the assassination of conservative media personality Charlie Kirk, social media was flooded with memes, jokes and political commentary.
Instead of recognizing the event as an act of political violence, many saw it as an opportunity for quick viral content.
Social media users even invented the term “kirkification”, which means using AI to deepfake Kirk’s face onto various celebrities and fictional characters. Nonsense words such as “lowkirkenuinely” were even created.
One year after Kirk’s murder, internet users celebrated the fictional holiday “Kirkversary.” When did someone’s murder become entertainment?
Another notorious example is the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks. Despite it happening more than two decades ago, images of the World Trade Center on fire and President George W. Bush’s live reaction to being told about the tragedy are still recognizable memes.
For younger generations who didn’t experience these events, their understanding of what happened is shaped by memes rather than the real historical significance.
Memes themselves are not the problem. Social media platforms encourage this type of culture by allowing harmful content to go around disguised as entertainment.
Watching serious events being reduced to a joke makes me question whether we are becoming less sensitive to others peoples suffering.
When users and platforms treat tragedies as just another opportunity for engagement, we risk losing sight of our humanity.
