The black humor of a new generation changes the tragedy

At a time when historical events are transformed into memes, the tragedy of September 11, 2001 has held a special place in the digital age, especially among Generation Z.

The recent rise in the number of 9/11 memes reflects a complex engagement with the event that many members of this generation did not experience personally.

While these young adults navigate their understanding through humor and online culture, the way they approach 9/11 shows a marked departure from the deep solemnity that once surrounded the day.

For Olivia, a 21-year-old college student from Minnesota, the mention of 9/11 in her class was a clear sign of the generational divide.

She noted: “Being online all the time is wild [because] someone mentioned 9/11 in my class today and I honestly forgot that not everyone finds it funny today.”

This sentiment underscores a general trend in which tragic events are increasingly becoming the subject of black humor, especially among those who learn about these events secondhand.

Social media platforms have accelerated this change, enabling the spread of memes and jokes about 9/11.

Platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok serve as important platforms for this expression, where users often post content that pushes the boundaries of traditional sensibilities.

For example, memes that make light of the attacks or compare trivial personal setbacks to the tragedy reflect a form of coping or commentary that resonates with younger audiences.

Experts like George Bonanno, professor of clinical psychology, believe that most people recover from the shock of traumatic events more quickly than expected. This may explain why September 11 is increasingly being addressed with humor.

The “benign injury theory,” proposed by researchers Peter McGraw and Caleb Warren, further supports this theory. It posits that humor about controversial events becomes more acceptable as the immediacy of the trauma wears off.

Still, the transformation of 9/11 into meme material is not without controversy. Some see these jokes as a necessary development of coping mechanisms, while others see the danger of trivializing the severity of the attacks.

Comedian Ruby Karp, 24, sums up this duality: she acknowledges the tragedy, but also recognizes a generational difference in the emotional connection to the events of September 11.

As the Internet continues to transform the way historical events are remembered and discussed, the role of memes in this process remains a moving topic.

The debate over the appropriateness and impact of 9/11 jokes is likely to continue as future generations redefine the boundaries of humor and historical respect.