Can Memes Be Educational?

Kendall LaVaque
3 min readApr 14, 2022

In the age of the internet, it’s impossible to avoid memes. They’re everywhere, from Twitter to Facebook to that weird corner of the internet you only visit when you’re procrastinating. But while memes are often derided as senseless distractions, there’s actually a lot of value in them — particularly when it comes to education.

Memes can be an effective way of conveying complex ideas in a concise, visually appealing format. They can also be used to spark discussion and debate, encouraging people to think critically about difficult topics. And in a world where attention spans are shorter than ever, they offer a welcome respite from traditional educational materials. So next time you see a meme, don’t just scroll past it — take a moment to consider if it could be used as a tool.

Here is a good example from https://www.weareteachers.com/math-teacher-memes/

As any teacher knows, keeping students engaged in the classroom can be and is a challenge. However, memes may be one unexpected tool that can helpWhile they may seem like a silly waste of time, memes can actually be used to promote education in a number of ways.

For example, they can be used as icebreakers to get students talking about a topic. They can also be used to provide a visual aid for a concept that is difficult to explain verbally. And of course, they can be used simply to generate a few laughs. So next time you’re looking for a way to spice up your lesson plan, consider reaching for the memes.

Remember when you were assigned to read a chapter or two a week from that Godawful textbook? Imagine if instead of the weird cartoon images they had memes

It would be more intriguing and less painful to read a book that was actually relatable and with the times.

We memorize songs we like because well, we like them and that’s because of emotional arousal which improves recall. We quote Vines/TikToks because they are funny. We could be doing the same with our education, making it fun and improving memorization of current educational standards.

Long story short, yes memes can be educational. When used correctly, memes can help simplify complex topics and make them easier to understand. They can also be used to raise awareness about important issues. While not all memes are educational, there is potential for memes to be used in educational settings.

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Kendall LaVaque
Kendall LaVaque

Written by Kendall LaVaque

📝 Mini Essayist ✍️The Idea Guy 🔎Armchair Anthropologist

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