Sofia does not believe in conspiracy theories but on her social networks she shares memes about flat earthing. Laura, her friend and her university classmate, does not consider herself a denier either, but even so, she jokes about the “plandemic” and “the microchips in the vaccines”. Neither they nor any of her group really believe in these stories, but in the summer (to survive the boredom of some afternoons) they met to watch videos like “five pieces of evidence that show that Beyoncé is a reptilian“, “the real video of a ghost eating potatoes” and “Avril Lavigne has died and has been replaced by a clone.” “We know that none of this is true, but we share it for laughs,” explains one of the young women. “We do not believe any of this, but we have friends that they share the same memes in a non-ironic way“, adds another.
In a world where (increasingly) social networks contribute to building our vision of the world, flat earther, denier and conspiracy memes could be amplifying the spread of conspiracy theories. This weekend, without going any further, hundreds of people gathered in Barcelona for the third national meeting on ‘Flat Earth’. As experts warn, flat earther theories —debunked a thousand times through experiments, empirical tests and common sense— have resurfaced in recent years in some spheres of the internet. Partly, buoyed by viral content that some share out of humor and others out of conviction.
— Out of Context deniers (@ImAvisando) September 11, 2022
But do memes really have something to do with the resurgence of flat earthing? The debate is open. According to the sociologist Iago Morenoan expert in memetics and digital culture, there are authors who argue that memes have become a “building block” that contributes to shaping our perception of the world. So, in this sense, flat earther memes could be seen as a reflection that these theses exist in popular culture (and, in a way, they could also be interpreted as a way to legitimize the story of those who want to “destabilize the truth”). But on the other side of the scale, Moreno also adds a key nuance to focus the discussion: “The flat earther memes are built from several layers of irony. They do not claim the message, they expose it in a post-ironic way”.
Neither flat nor round, the earth is a velociraptor that is TIERRARAPTOR pic.twitter.com/0CdezHhOu1
– Viking Warrior (@vikingjuany) July 9, 2020
“Flat earther memes succeed because they put emphasis on the ridiculousness of the message: replicate these theses for show how absurd they can benot to agree with them,” says cartoonist Julio Rey, director of the graphics department at the Quevedo Institute of Humorous Arts. “Yes, it is true that, in some way, by sharing this type of content we are acting as a loudspeaker for the message. But that also happens with the news. And there we have to trust that the receiver has enough critical capacity and common sense to understand that it is a joke”, reflects the humorist.
“Flat earther memes succeed because they emphasize the ridiculousness of the message”
Julio Rey, cartoonist
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One of the keys to understanding the virality of flat earther memes has to do, precisely, with the type of emotional response that wake up According to the scientific communicator Pere Estupinya, it is easier for our brain to remember “surprising and overwhelming” stories like those related by conspiracy theories than rational and more boring explanations that correspond to reality. In this sense, then, it would be more interesting for us to share a joke about a grotesque thesis, which makes us laugh, rather than something more brainy. In the ecosystem of social networks, moreover, humorous content has an easier time becoming viral.
— Out of Context deniers (@ImAvisando) September 8, 2022
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It is also no coincidence that the flat earth memes are shared along with other humorous publications that defend theses as absurd as that “dinosaurs helped build the pyramids” and “cartoons hide satanic messages for children”. According to the psychologist Ramon Nogueras in the book ‘Why do we believe in shit’, “taking for valid bullshit is like polydrug addiction: if you believe in one, you are tolerant of all the others“. Especially since these kinds of theories are based on the idea that there is a “global conspiracy” to hide the truth and that, basically, this parallel universe of facts is the alternative to “the official truth”.
“”Memes about flat earthing can serve as a ‘vaccine’ against the message”
Iago Moreno, sociologist
The key question is the following: could the fact that more flat earther memes are now being shared be giving wings to theories that until now were marginal? Opinions are divided on this. Just as there are those who defend that these theses are becoming one more “ideological option”, there are also those who argue that exposing these ideas as something ridiculous could serve as a containment barrier. “Memes about flat earthing can serve as ‘vaccine’ against the message. Sometimes it is more effective to deal with these issues in an ironic way than to share a thoughtful and articulate criticism dismantling their arguments,” Moreno reflects.