Author: Celine Hajj Slieman

Opinion

Comedy or Compliance? How meme culture has affected our response to trauma

There is perhaps no better embodiment of this generation’s attitudes and approaches to self-expression than the modern meme. What began as a few crass jokes and references to popular culture quickly went viral and the satirical tradition of pairing an image and text has been carried on ever since. Memes have evolved within social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, becoming the centre of mass public exchange and sparking trends on an international scale.From old SpongeBob SquarePants scenes to Bernie Sanders’ mittens, meme culture has rebranded known icons and expanded into categories and sub-categories, each dedicated to sharing specific kinds of content. There are meme accounts for history and art history, sports and sports teams, politics, religions, franchises, and literature. The list goes on.

Opinion

What the COVID-19 era has meant for refugees around the globe

To say that this year has not been easy would be an understatement. The spread of COVID-19 has hung a shadow of uncertainty over the future, forcing us to acclimatize to a lonelier standard of living. Being isolated from friends and family is certainly a challenge, but at least in the face of this illness, Canadians who develop symptoms can rely on the country’s healthcare procedures for their diagnoses and treatment. Globally, however, not everyone has been so fortunate.