Memes as a way of manipulation in the process of digital interaction

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Memes as a way of manipulation in the process of digital interaction

Zabotnova M.V., Senior Lecturer of the Department of Philology, Translation and Lingual Communication, National academy of the National guard of Ukraine

Summary

The article is devoted to the manipulative possibilities of memes in the process of Internet communication, which develops due to the fast and uncontrolled growth of social networks. The author highlights main manipulative methods of memes usage and the influence they may have on the Internet users. Moreover, the article presents key ways of verbalizing the memes' manipulative possibilities. The author stresses out the need of carrying out practical experiment which may set the statistical level of memes manipulability.

Key words: memes, digital interaction, Internet, communication, manipulation. memes manipulative communication

Заботнова М.В. Меми як спосіб маніпуляції в процесі мережевого спілкування

Анотація. Стаття присвячена маніпулятивним можливостям мемів у процесі мережевого спілкування, які розвиваються завдяки швидкому та неконтрольованому поширенню соціальних мереж. Автор виділяє основні маніпулятивні методи, використання мемів та вплив, який вони здійснюють щодо інтернет користувачів. Також стаття надає перелік основних шляхів вербалізації маніпуля- тивних здібностей мемів. Автор наголошує на потребі провести практичний експеримент, який зможе встановити статистичний рівень маніпулятивних можливостей мемів.

Ключові слова: меми, мережеве спілкування, інтер- нет, комунікація, маніпуляція.

Заботнова М.В. Мемы как способ манипуляции в процессе сетевого общения

Typical Internet users simply scrive through memes without noticing identical forming components (in this definite case - negative), but that is only illusion of being unnoticed - man's brain may keep this information and even transfer it into an everyday life. The more regularly you meet negative or positive information the more chances you have to agree with it. So, if we look at the memes not only as at the significant aspect which can spread real, sometimes creepy information used for fun, but also as at the key visual aspect to manipulate public thinking, we will see the whole picture more clearly. It is easier to manipulate one's thoughts via the most visited places by voters, places where everyone share information, react on and create it as well - social networks. It is impossible to find more visited places than trendy social networks. People spend the biggest half of the day surfing networks without paying special attention to it. The youth can not call it a day if he/she has not tweeted or shared at list one post. That is how the whole system works. You like a definite meme, want it to be seen by your friends, share it, thus - you prolong not just its existence, but, as well, possible manipulability without even understanding that.

Talking about "possible manipulability" it is necessary to understand that not every meme may be the influential weapon - everything depends on the circumstances and intentions of its creator. While one meme exist for fun only or cite the words of famous people another meme may by the time bomb with special task. This task may be divided into several phases:

1) to check persons manipulability;

2) to choose the most appropriate unit of manipulation;

3) to adopt memes in accordance with the audience and with the needed result.

For example, there are plenty of negative memes devoted to the valid President of the USA Donald Trump who has been occupying his position for almost a year already. There is even an Internet page on Facebook "Bigly Trump Memes" [4] which spreads and shares corresponding memes (Pic. 2, Pic. 3).

Pic. 2. "Bigly Trump Memes"

Pic. 3. "Bigly Trump Memes"

Both memes serve to show the whole negativism of actions proved by the current president of the USA. Their idea is to check the level of nation being unsatisfied with the chosen leader - the first picture gives the floor for thinking while the second one tries to present "general truth" which is to be acceptable by users. That is one of tens of possible ways of gathering like-minded people to strengthen one's ideas.

Have you ever asked yourself how much time it is required to get used to information of any kind to change your personal ideas and thoughts? The reality is that it takes not so much time as we have been thinking before. In the book "Analysis of Mass Manipulations in Russia" by ZelynskyiS. the scientist stresses out "That does not have anything in common with zombing. In this case everything is more skillful. Needed information which has been already placed in the individuals may be stored in the person before the time of manipulation. <.,>This manipulating mass of people can be formed very quickly and can be used in any moment, place and time." [13, p. 79] Thus, every meme may become a weapon of thinking for every separate individual.

Manipulation (hidden appealing to unconscious, illusory as well as traditional believes of people) and persuasion (direct, open add ressing to the conscious, critical, innovative views of people) can complete each other [1]. Disinformation, playing with facts, keeping and hiding the information - those factors may easily create another reality where black is white, a bottom is a top and everything is turned upside down, but being presented as a true issue may have a positive result implementing the needs of a creator.

An average person spending at least from 3 to 8 hours on Internet meets at list fifty memes per day in numerous social networks which serve as territory to form the way of your thinking. The first negative meme may arise resentment as well as simple neutral ideas, the second time a person meets the meme with the same emotional load he/she may change one's own impression for softer. This situation may appear many times and can lead to the whole change of one's ideology.

Let's imagine you are an individual with work, family and do not have much time to analyze and to be engaged into the modern policy, thus, you do not have enough time to form your own complete model of a satisfying politician. In this case the army of numerous memes will do everything for you. They will appear and follow you all over your path through social networks - they will digitally show all needed negativism or positivism which earlier or later will be accepted by your brain as your own.

Modern methods of digital manipulations are endless. They are used in combination with each other changing one aspect of the message into another, paraphrasing, trolling and playing the words to create a specific atmosphere to make everything possible to transform ideas of users into needed ones: back ground; script; frame; colours. Every factor has its place, time and role - nothing is done just for appearance.

Moreover, the main passage of memes consists of four properties that are key to understanding the current practices of media manipulation and which will "help" you to feel an appropriate mood of a message and even to share the view:

• the use of deliberately offensive speech;

• antipathy toward sensationalism in the mainstream media;

• the desire to create emotional impact in targets;

• the preservation of ambiguity [10, p. 5].

Every meme, even meaningless at first glance, may be rather informative and, as a result, manipulative. Mostly, they seem funny or touchy, but the point is to make them usual and, at the same time, common for everyone. Authors try to appeal to the most outstanding features as:

1) traditions and customs;

2) valuable historical events;

3) discriminating factors (race, nationality, religion, sexual preferences, etc.);

4) weaknesses (physical, mental as well as in various positions - politics, economy, business, sport, etc.);

5) family (defense, well-being, etc.);

6) social issues;

7) famous people;

8) animals involved.

Pic. 5. "Bats are dancing"

The proposed pictures present three features - the first picture (Pic. 4) [11] shows a famous actor and, at the same time, reflects social problem of the modern world - pollution, rubbish and use of plastic materials; the second picture (Pic. 5) [2] is a bright example of memes based on animals and which mainly serve for fun.

All abovementioned factors may occur as key characteristics on the hidden path of manipulation. The more often you agree with the statements presented on the unit of meme the more chances you have to be influenced by other common statements, but next time the intention of the meme's creator may differ and may be used to check how manipulative you are and what paraphrasing can be done to achieve one's goal. Only one word or word-combination may lead to totally different outcome.

It is important to figure out the possible rate of memes manipulability. Nevertheless, such study may become an essential work of psycholinguistics to set the statistical level of memes manipulability. Thus, it is necessary to carry out the practical experiment which will help to prove the possibility of memes to have influence on Internet users' decisions. The experiment is to hold out in two different groups of people with differences in gender and minimal differences in age (2-5 years). Such analyses may help to figure out the possibility of memes to manipulate the users decisions.

References

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8. Dennett D. Dangerous Memes. TED: Ideas Worth Spreading. California, 2002. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzGjEkp772s

9. Deza A., Parikh D. Understanding Image Virality,2015. URL: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1503.02318.pdf

10. Marwick A., Lewis R. Media Manipulation and Disinformation Online. Data and Society Research Institute. New York, 2017.P. 106 URL: https://datasociety.net/pubs/oh/DataAndSociety_MediaManipulation AndDisinformationOnline.pdf

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12. Tyler T. Memetics. Memes and the Science of Cultural Evolution. USA. Meresenne Publishing, 2011. P. 229

13. Zelynskyi S. Analysis of Mass Manipulations in Russia. Altaspera Publishing and Literary Agency Inc. Canada, 2014. 352 p.

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