9/11 and "never forget" collide with the meme generation's dark humor

America declares "never forget" as a mantra, yet a significant portion of the population no longer has personal recollections of 9/11. This evolution in generational memory is blurring the lines between trauma and dark humor, leading to a surge in meme culture surrounding the tragic event. For those under the age of 27, the attacks are primarily known through secondary sources like television, educational materials, and familial narratives, rather than through direct experience.

This distance from the event allows the humor to flourish, amplified by the online algorithms that favor provocative content and a younger generation's propensity for pushing boundaries against traditional reverence.

According to statistics, around 83% of adults born before 2001 recall precisely where they were when they heard about 9/11, whereas roughly 10% of U.S. adults were born after that year and have no firsthand memory of the attacks. This generational gap has enabled 9/11 to become a regular topic of memes, often referencing the famous photograph of President Bush learning of the attacks while visiting a school.

Viral videos related to the event have amassed millions of views, with some surpassing 900,000 and 680,000 views, respectively. The event has also found its way into various forms of media, including podcasts, movies, and TV shows.

When asked about his stance on 9/11-related humor, Harry Daniels, a 22-year-old TikTok star, admitted that he personally would not create such jokes. He explained that it's challenging for younger people to empathize with the magnitude of the event if they weren't physically present to witness it. Daniels also remarked that it's perceived as uncool to display empathy online, as culture increasingly values appearing permanently unbothered and unfazed.

On the opposing side, Jamie Cohen, a professor at CUNY Queens College, shared his personal experience of witnessing the World Trade Center collapse in real-time while at Hofstra University. Cohen acknowledged that the event deeply affected him and questioned how younger Americans could find humor in such darkness. He believed that what they were doing was to find humor in the somber subject matter.

Cohen also noted that younger generations are transforming these dark jokes into widely-shared formats, reaching millions of viewers, a stark contrast to the limited audience of similar humor from previous generations.

While jokes about 9/11 have not been entirely new, the reach and accessibility of such content have expanded dramatically due to the proliferation of digital platforms. Media sociologist Alex Turvy highlighted that what was once confined to a small circle of friends can now become a widespread phenomenon, easily viewed by millions.

Cohen compared this to the way millennials jokingly referenced the Vietnam War, a practice that would have been considered unacceptable by their parents. The discussion also touched upon how 9/11 has become intertwined with debates over U.S. foreign policy and the subsequent wars, leading some young TikTok users to view the event through a political lens, rather than solely as a national tragedy.

Despite the prevalence of 9/11 memes, there are certain tragedies that seem to remain untouched by meme culture. Turvy pointed out that Sandy Hook, an event involving child victims, is viewed as completely blameless and untouched by meme culture, emphasizing the stark contrast between these tragedies and 9/11. The latter, on the other hand, is sometimes discussed in the context of broader geopolitical issues, such as U.S. foreign policy and power dynamics, which may cause some younger people to perceive 9/11 as a political event rather than just a national trauma.

Ultimately, while moments in history will inevitably lose their significance over time, Daniels warned that someone will always seek to capitalize on a moment of public interest.