/r/2meirl4meirl
/r/2meirl4meirl is a subreddit on Reddit where users post memes that others can relate to. There is a main focus of self deprecation, edginess, and self degrading humor. This subreddit is self proclaimed as an environment "for relatable posts that are too real for /r/meirl or /r/me_irl." [1] There can be many issues with communities such as this. Similar to almost all online communities, this subreddit is prone to Groupthink. This article highlights what makes r/2meirl4meirl distinct, what separates it from similar subreddits, and the ethical issues behind this subreddit. The ethical issues addresses involve mental health and well being, and the hivemind of Reddit as a whole.
Contents
Background
r/2meirl4meirl was created in late April of 2016, and as of now, currently has more than 1.1 million subscribers. As mentioned above, this subreddit was initially created for "when things get too real for meirl." r/meirl and r/me_irl have a combined estimate of 4.5 million subscribers with the latter leading the charge with 3.5 million of those users.[2]
Differences between 2meirl4meirl and me_irl
/r/meirl was created in late October of 2012, and as mentioned above, has about 3.5 million users. This subreddit is focused on lighthearted relatable memes that aren't viewed as dark or edgy. In fact, r/me_irl has a post that has been pinned by moderators from two years ago that addresses what the subreddit is intended for and what it is not intended for. The post discusses sensitive subjects, such as upsetting news stories and suicide. There is also a locked single comment on the post that describe more of what it means for a post to be edgy and if it meets the required guidelines of the subreddit. To get a better idea of the lighthearted memes on this sub, here is one posted from September of 2019. This relatable, innocent meme currently has a little more than 90 thousand upvotes. This meme was posted in early March of 2020 (5 days from the writing of this post) and has already been awarded 82.6 thousand upvotes.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is r/2meirl4meirl. Along with being a tongue twister, it is one of the most popular subs on Reddit right now that has an expertise of self deprecation. Looking through the subreddit, one comes across edgy memes or posts that are somewhat relatable. For example, this tweet posted on the sub garnered 61.7 thousand upvotes and 402 comments. In a similar vein, this cross post from r/AskReddit gained more than 62 thousand upvotes and 1.1 thousand comments. These memes are able to induce a light release of air through the nose or potentially a dry chuckle if one has that sense of humor, but a majority of this popular subreddit produces edgy memes that in general are detrimental to one's health and well being.
Ethical Issues
Mental Health and Well Being
Reddit as a whole has received a lot of criticism[3] for toxic and edgy communities that are not very cognizant of mental health and well being. This ties in with the classic "keyboard warrior" idea of being able to say whatever you want to whoever you want because of the concept of anonymity. Along with this, studies show that social media generally has a negative impact on mental health.[4][5] In a relatable, but not completely similar vein, subreddits like r/2meirl4meirl foster the romanticization and obsession of mental health problems. There isn't anything necessarily or inherently wrong with this tweet but it is designed to encourage one of the 62 thousand users who liked this post to say "Oh me too! This is so funny and relatable!" As far as mental well being goes, it definitely is important that these subreddits normalize and understand the issues behind mental health. However, users of this sub seem a little too interested in bathing in their horrible mental health and basking in it to gain the attention of the internet. Posts like this are designed to be funny and over the top but in reality, they can come across as depressing and discouraging.
Reddit as an Echo Chamber
Posts on these subreddits and the communities themselves encourage self deprecating memes and a lack of self care. The problem of echo chambers has been recurring since the dawn of technological times and it's no surprise that it is a vital part of what keeps people coming back to these subs, upvoting and commenting on these memes designed to make one feel bad but also like they are not alone in their struggle. This meme to the right with over 61 thousand upvotes can be viewed as a representation of this, with the top comments telling the same story. Comments such as "I felt that" and "same, so disposable" gained 69 and 256 upvotes respectively, with more in depth comments about being "that friend" received around 2 thousand upvotes.[6] This kind of mentality can be soul crushing and it exemplifies the Groupthink concept mentioned above.
These issues are very real and very important in terms of ethicality. Not just when it comes to ethics in technology, but also in terms of self ethics or personal ethics. In this scenario, the technology and the subreddits are pipelines that can potentially blur and obscure the ethics of these users.
References
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/2meirl4meirl/
- ↑ https://subredditstats.com/r/me_irl
- ↑ https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/03/19/reddit-and-the-struggle-to-detoxify-the-internet
- ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563216307543?via%3Dihub
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3907111/
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/2meirl4meirl/comments/el18es/2meirl4meirl/
