The Casual Cruelty of Internet Memes

Memes can be funny, and can even come to life sometimes, but is it ever considered that a meme you just shared could be really hurting someone. The problem is that it is too easy for an intended joke to turn cruel, especially on the internet. Recently, I came across this article on BuzzFeed that had me thinking a lot about memes and the effects they can have on someone. The meme itself is simple, just a picture of a guy who looks kind of sickly with words tacked on the top such as, “Meth Curry.” The man in the picture is Leon Mitchell II, and he is a survivor of a rare form of cancer called nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Mitchell had spent years recovering from this form of cancer and it took a toll on his body, mainly on his head and neck. Someone then made the connection that he looked like NBA player Stephen Curry, and then also made an assumption that Mitchell couldn’t have a disease such as cancer, but had to be addicted to methamphetamine, and so another mean meme was born. Mitchell eventually found out about the meme and came out to say his feelings about the were being “ a little bit embarrassing, humiliating, and a bit hurtful all at the same time.” And while Mitchell came out on the good side of this situation by responding to the meme in an uplifting way, there was a chance that it may not have turned out so well for Mitchell. The meme is an example of the casual cruelty of the Internet, no one stopped to think about the story behind this meme or what the effect could be before they posted it, but maybe next time they should.