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Este artigo investiga como os memes, enquanto linguagem comunicacional contemporânea e fenômeno central da cultura digital, operam simultaneamente como facilitadores do acesso a temas complexos e como potenciais vetores de desinformação. No que chamamos de Lado A, discutimos como os memes, ao articularem humor, síntese informacional e forte apelo visual, tornam-se instrumentos eficazes para engajar públicos diversos, ampliando a compreensão e o alcance de debates sociais, culturais e políticos. Já no Lado B, analisamos seus usos em formatos polarizadores, nos quais a fragmentação, a ausência de contexto e a rápida circulação favorecem distorções, estereótipos e interpretações equivocadas. A discussão teórica integra abordagens da mamética de Dawkins (1976), os princípios da cultura remix, tipologias de memes, leitura de imagens e conceitos como economia afetiva. Metodologicamente, o estudo adota uma abordagem mista composta por questionário on-line e análise qualitativa de conteúdo, a partir da qual emergiram quatro categorias centrais: criatividade, desserialização de contexto, responsabilização difusa e algoritmo do sensacionalismo. Os resultados indicam que os memes funcionam como gatilhos informacionais e ferramentas expressivas de ampla circulação, mas sua eficácia comunicacional depende fortemente da mediação crítica do receptor, do contexto sociotécnico em que são disseminados e da capacidade de verificação diante da lógica algorítmica das plataformas digitais. Conclui-se que a ambivalência dos memes exige atenção contínua, especialmente no que diz respeito ao impacto da desinformação e às responsabilidades éticas de produtores e usuários.

This article investigates how memes, as a contemporary communicational language and a central phenomenon of digital culture, operate simultaneously as facilitators of access to complex topics and as potential vectors of disinformation. In what we refer to as Side A, we discuss how memes, by articulating humor, informational synthesis, and strong visual appeal, become effective instruments for engaging diverse audiences, expanding the understanding and reach of social, cultural, and political debates. On Side B, we analyze their uses in polarizing formats, in which fragmentation, lack of context, and rapid circulation foster distortions, stereotypes, and misleading interpretations. The theoretical discussion integrates approaches derived from Dawkins’ memetics (1976), principles of remix culture, meme typologies, image-reading frameworks, and concepts such as affective economy. Methodologically, the study employs a mixed-method design consisting of an online questionnaire and qualitative content analysis, from which four central categories emerged: creativity, context deserialization, diffuse accountability, and the sensationalism algorithm. The results indicate that memes function as informational triggers and expressive tools with wide circulation, but their communicational effectiveness depends strongly on the critical mediation of receivers, the socio-technical context in which they circulate, and the capacity for verification within the algorithmic logic of digital platforms. The study concludes that the ambivalence of memes demands ongoing attention, particularly regarding the impact of disinformation and the ethical responsibilities of producers and users.

This article investigates how memes, as a contemporary communicational language and a central phenomenon of digital culture, operate simultaneously as facilitators of access to complex topics and as potential vectors of disinformation. In what we refer to as Side A, we discuss how memes, by articulating humor, informational synthesis, and strong visual appeal, become effective instruments for engaging diverse audiences, expanding the understanding and reach of social, cultural, and political debates. On Side B, we analyze their uses in polarizing formats, in which fragmentation, lack of context, and rapid circulation foster distortions, stereotypes, and misleading interpretations. The theoretical discussion integrates approaches derived from Dawkins’ memetics (1976), principles of remix culture, meme typologies, image-reading frameworks, and concepts such as affective economy. Methodologically, the study employs a mixed-method design consisting of an online questionnaire and qualitative content analysis, from which four central categories emerged: creativity, context deserialization, diffuse accountability, and the sensationalism algorithm. The results indicate that memes function as informational triggers and expressive tools with wide circulation, but their communicational effectiveness depends strongly on the critical mediation of receivers, the socio-technical context in which they circulate, and the capacity for verification within the algorithmic logic of digital platforms. The study concludes that the ambivalence of memes demands ongoing attention, particularly regarding the impact of disinformation and the ethical responsibilities of producers and users.

This article investigates how memes, as a contemporary communicational language and a central phenomenon of digital culture, operate simultaneously as facilitators of access to complex topics and as potential vectors of disinformation. In what we refer to as Side A, we discuss how memes, by articulating humor, informational synthesis, and strong visual appeal, become effective instruments for engaging diverse audiences, expanding the understanding and reach of social, cultural, and political debates. On Side B, we analyze their uses in polarizing formats, in which fragmentation, lack of context, and rapid circulation foster distortions, stereotypes, and misleading interpretations. The theoretical discussion integrates approaches derived from Dawkins’ memetics (1976), principles of remix culture, meme typologies, image-reading frameworks, and concepts such as affective economy. Methodologically, the study employs a mixed-method design consisting of an online questionnaire and qualitative content analysis, from which four central categories emerged: creativity, context deserialization, diffuse accountability, and the sensationalism algorithm. The results indicate that memes function as informational triggers and expressive tools with wide circulation, but their communicational effectiveness depends strongly on the critical mediation of receivers, the socio-technical context in which they circulate, and the capacity for verification within the algorithmic logic of digital platforms. The study concludes that the ambivalence of memes demands ongoing attention, particularly regarding the impact of disinformation and the ethical responsibilities of producers and users.