The Memeification of Injustice: How Context Gets Erased

By Jacob Rueda

ANATOMY OF A MEME

A July 11 post on the Instagram page “Fuck You I Quit” features a meme depicting a man recounting a sequence of events: winning a racial discrimination lawsuit, attempting to deposit the settlement check at a bank, and allegedly being denied service—resulting in a second lawsuit.

The post is designed like a modern meme, with punchy, bold text, no names or citations, and a sense of moral urgency.

However, the meme omits all identifying details, such as who the man is, what institutions were involved, or even when and where the events took place. Instead, it offers a provocative narrative that lacks context or explanation.

WHO IS SAUNTORE THOMAS?

The scenario in the meme mirrors the 2020 case of Sauntore Thomas, a Black Air Force veteran from Detroit whose discrimination settlement triggered suspicion at his bank, TCF, prompting a police response and a second lawsuit.

Local and national press covered the story, describing the ordeal Thomas went through to cash his check, as well as the aftermath.

A LACK OF CONTEXT

Posts like the one featuring Thomas go viral for various reasons when they lack context.

Many commenters on Instagram supported the meme’s claim about racial bias at a bank without asking for verification or context, while a few others commented negatively, reflecting patterns found in behavioral research.

Multiple studies, including work by Stanford’s Polarization and Social Change Lab, show that emotionally charged, morally framed content often reinforces viewers’ existing beliefs and drives engagement.

In a 2020 study titled “The Activist’s Dilemma,” researchers found extreme narratives like the one featured in the meme can polarize reactions.

“The most effective arguments are ones in which you find a new way to connect a political position to your target audience’s moral values,” said Robb Willer, a Stanford sociologist, in a 2015 interview.

Willer emphasized the significance of moral reframing in shaping public discussions, especially in memes like the one featuring Sauntore Thomas.

Another study from the Association of Psychological Science showed that belief in empathy, especially as a political tool, increased receptiveness to victim-centered messaging.

 “Believing in the usefulness of cross-partisan empathy was sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy,” said Luiza Santos, the lead author of the empathy study. When people see empathy for injustice as effective or normal, they are more likely to show it, even if the claim of injustice isn't verified.

The meme’s lack of details about Thomas led to both support and criticism, showing that strong emotions often take priority over accurate information. Such memes act as quick and easy ways to understand and share information without needing to fact-check.

THE START OF MISINFORMATION

Although the meme was based on something documented by local and national media, not all memes are grounded in fact. Sharing them without verification has lead to the spread of misinformation.

Studies have also found that such content is often more likely to be shared because algorithms boost emotionally charged posts, further amplifying their reach and impact.

MIT's Sinan Aral said in a 2018 study published in Science that "false news spreads faster than the truth.” He said that such information is designed to be emotionally engaging, which is something that social media platforms tend to reward.

Social media algorithms that amplify emotionally charged or belief-confirming content over nuanced information have been shown to create confusion and chaos.

In the past, such content undermined public health by spreading COVID-19 misinformation. It has also incited real-world violence, like in the Pizzagate incident. In less extreme examples, they’ve distorted parenting norms through misapplied gentle parenting trends.

DRIVING A WEDGE IN SOCIETY

A 2023 article published in the American Academy of Social and Emotional Medicine, a nonprofit group focused on psychological health in digital spaces, found that emotionally charged memes can encourage cyberbullying, fuel stereotypes, and create emotional distress.

Without identifying details, the story in a posted meme loses its ability to educate or demand accountability. Instead, it becomes a sort of temporary “gotcha” moment.

In the process of a meme going viral, the individuals depicted are erased. The essence of them is reduced to mere symbols. Who they are is replaced by simple moral signals meant to quickly evoke emotions.

Repeated exposure to emotionally charged memes like the one depicting Thomas can contribute to what psychologists refer to as empathy fatigue, where individuals become emotionally exhausted and less responsive to injustice over time.

A 2022 article in Frontiers in Psychology reports that repeatedly seeing injustice—especially when it lacks resolution or clarity—can cause emotional burnout, skepticism, and disengagement from social issues.

ERASING MEANING TO CREATE IMPACT

Without names and details, posts like the one featuring Thomas turn real harm into simple stories—not for learning or justice, but for engagement. They imitate real stories but ignore the struggles that give them meaning.

Reactions to the meme, ranging from blind support to racial skepticism, show how emotions influence behavior on social media.

Most commenters on the post accepted its claims without verifying them, a pattern supported by research from Stanford’s Polarization and Social Change Lab. Two separate studies found that emotionally charged, belief-confirming posts tend to drive engagement while discouraging scrutiny.

The most liked comment on the post—“I hate that for him. I love that for him.”—shows that vague, emotionally charged responses can be more popular than fact-based ones. A comment explaining the meme's subject was the second most liked, despite adding clarity and context.

While memes can raise awareness and evoke emotions, they often lack the context and details that make real stories meaningful. As social media boosts emotionally charged posts, the chances of misunderstanding and spreading misinformation grow.

OVERALL

The meme's popularity and reactions show current trends in online engagement. Posts without specific details are frequently shared and supported, especially if they contain emotionally charged claims.

Research from Stanford University’s Polarization and Social Change Lab support this, showing that posts framed in moral terms tend to get more interaction but less fact-checking.

Other studies found that material that confirms people's beliefs is more likely to be boosted by algorithms. Overall, experts have noted that this kind of amplification can lead to the spread of misinformation, empathy fatigue, and even real-world harm in some cases.