Memes help share ideas and they reflect the zeitgeist. You can see the pattern if you're older and experienced the birth of internet memes and over time they became more depressing, surreal, and self deprecating, reflecting the current socio-economic situation of many. During 2020 - 2023, the memes were quite surreal and making commentary about one in a life time events happening many times, shits on fire, economic inequity and more. Millenials and zoomers are depressed they can't afford a house.

Now imagine you are someone who has a masters degree and can't find a decent paying job because the marking is fucked. You want to purchase a house and you just can't. You now see a meme reflecting those ideas and you feel a form of solidarity. You get emboldened by those ideas.

I think, the current wave of unionization and striking partly contributed by these memes. They shared a spotlight on the inequities of the world and got people worked up. You can also see the "power" of the Dark Brandon memes, oh, and Donald fucking Trump became a serious candidate and elected because of memes.

Imagine believing that changing the status quo happens out of the blue without civil political discourse.

Memes are quite similar to caricatures and cartoons of the printing age, except they have an even bigger role in our modern age. It is a more accessible way of spreading ideas, making arguments, or the like.

You of course will not be taking down a government with a meme alone, but the meme can be part of the first steps of spreading awareness and bringing societal problems to attention, preceding real change.