Memes as a means of media art therapy in overcoming the collective trauma of war

- Вознесенська, Олена Леонідівна (orcid.org/0000-0002-1273-0049) (2022) Memes as a means of media art therapy in overcoming the collective trauma of war Простір арт-терапії, 2 (32). pp. 5-29. ISSN 2310-3159

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Abstract

Overcoming of collective trauma is now a problem of Ukrainian society. In the information world, media art therapy by itself can be a method of working with the traumas of war, caused or reinforced by the media. Media art therapy is a combination of therapy, art and the latest information technologies. Media creativity is an effective strategy for restoring the mental health of individuals and society after collective trauma. The art therapy aspect of media creativity can be used as a basis for the forming of new coping strategies. Meme creation is a type of media creativity. A meme is a unit of cultural information. A meme is a unique sign that allows you to convey your opinion, your complex feelings to others in the form of a simple image with a short text. You can consider memes as «words» of metalanguage. Memes are a new form of «economy of perception». The use of memes allows a person to express and react to complex feelings that arise in war conditions. This contributes to overcoming the consequences of collective traumatization in society, improving the emotional state, and increasing stress resistance. Memes can perform the function of expressing feelings not only for those who create them, but also for those who perceive and spread them. Meme-making can be used as media art therapy for large communities, which is carried out through the creation, perception and distribution of images, videos, texts. An analysis of the memes that circulated in the Ukrainian information space during the first three months of the full-scale invasion showed the following. Memes performed the functions of expressing feelings, reducing uncertainty and predicting the future, regaining control over one’s own life through creativity, strengthening confidence in one’s powers and victory over evil. Feelings that Ukrainians «shared» with the help of memes – anger, fear, disgust. Content analysis of more than 2,700 memes made it possible to determine the most common meme topics during this period of time: emotional states, elevation of Ukrainians, humiliation of enemies and symbols important to enemies, elevation of the army, social institutions on which the future of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people depend, as well as detachment from enemies and individual events that affect the lives of many people. The colors chosen for the images of enemies – brown, black, red – expressed abomination, disgust, anger; the colors for uplifting Ukrainians – blue, yellow, green – contributed to increasing activity, stability and carried calming functions.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	mem, collective trauma, media creativity, emotions, media art therapy
Subjects:	Science and knowledge. Organization. Computer science. Information. Documentation. Librarianship. Institutions. Publications > 1 Philosophy. Psychology Science and knowledge. Organization. Computer science. Information. Documentation. Librarianship. Institutions. Publications > 3 Social Sciences > 304 Social questions. Social practice. Cultural practice. Way of life (Lebensweise)
Divisions:	The Institute of Social and Political Psychology > Department of Psychology of Mass Communication and Media Education
Depositing User:	Лаборант Д.Б. Говорун
Date Deposited:	15 Apr 2024 10:05
Last Modified:	15 Apr 2024 10:05
URI:	https://lib.iitta.gov.ua/id/eprint/740273

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