I have become guilty of knowing probably every “chronically online” reference. TikTok has made meme-driven messaging one of the dominant ways people communicate — including about politics.

When we think of memes, politics don’t come to mind because memes were born as forms of personal and cultural expression, not political communication. Given today’s digital landscape, politics has become more accessible through social media platforms which has resulted in less concrete action.

Undeniably, I find it greatly important to stay informed on the political state of our country. However, staying informed cannot be limited to videos on social media that are curated for entertainment purposes. Instead of learning about policy through town halls and long-form debate, many people now encounter it through edits, sound bites and viral posts that reduce serious issues into content.

The anger that must be felt and transformed into advocacy instead has been turned into performance, and that shift is reshaping how we engage with politics. 

This shift is present even in immigration policy; both Democrats and Republicans have taken to TikTok to promote their agendas using memes for engagement. Under the current climate, immigrants have become the targets of ridicule in public debate and are subjected to constant political attacks.

Videos of immigration enforcement are not an easy watch, yet online, instead of a sustained discussion, there are often edits and memes of people being detained designed for shock-based engagement rather than understanding.

For example, the official Democratic Party page posted an edited video of Press Security Karoline Leavitt in an edit captioned, “just letting everyone know karoline leavitt does NOT like this photo.” While the video may be funny, it does not build understanding of Leavitt’s policy positions or the consequences of her controversial political messaging. More often, these videos encourage people to laugh and move on. 

I am all for a good laugh, but the reality is, I have been waiting for serious action to be taken. Currently, it seems like almost every day, there is a new law being signed or overturned. Not everyone wants official political pages making light of administrators who damage the lives of millions — we want action.

In political discourse, memes promise immediate inclusion so that anyone can join the conversation. However, by compressing dangerous policies into a visual quip, even well-intentioned memes strip away the nuanced discussion of migration demands.

This illusion of expression gives a sense of participation without the burden of involvement. When a meme is used to discuss human crises like immigration enforcement, it can feel like one has taken a stand, but what is really happening is virtue signaling instead of action.

Real engagement would mean learning about the issues, contacting representatives or supporting immigrant rights organizations through advocacy or donations.

Humor, of course, can be a coping mechanism — granted, I use it all the time. Politics can be heavy, and memes can make hard topics feel less difficult than they are. But when humor becomes the only language we use to discuss immigration enforcement, it dilutes the severity of these issues.

A 2019 study by the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies presents how memes shape political discourse, noting that “political humour often flourishes in oppressive political regimes as a form of morale boost. Memes become outlets for expressing frustration with the political situation.” This is how memes foster performative activism.

Politics can be difficult to learn; as political candidates and political parties aim to make information more accessible, they have framed unfolding events as humorous. The danger isn’t that memes can spread misinformation — it is that they desensitize.

While some can read this piece and respond with “it is not that deep” — it is. There is a human dimension in migration ranging from the fear of deportation to the hope of dignity. There is nothing wrong with feeling discomfort — that is what you are meant to feel when watching people being detained aggressively.

Political expression is meant for more than making us laugh. Official political party accounts should push toward action and challenge current social thoughts on politics. To speak meaningfully about migration, we must reclaim sincerity. Otherwise, we risk becoming a society that scrolls past suffering, laughing as we slowly lose our capacity to care.

Heydy Vasquez is a senior majoring in legal studies writing about immigration policy and its effects on students in her column “Undocutales,” which runs every other Friday. She is also an Opinion editor at the Daily Trojan.