World war memes: The world is shaking, and gen Z is posting

Breaking news! The potential for a global conflict is escalating. With that, geopolitical drama is back on the timeline.

When you see such terrifying news flashing across your television screen, what do you do? Well, if you are gen Z, chances are you don’t cry, stockpile non-perishable food, or hide in your basement. Instead, you make memes.

“POV: You get drafted, but your skin-care routine still slaps.” 

We’re told world war is scary, but it’s also kind of … content.

While the world seems like it’s ready to explode, something strange is happening — people are joking about it by making memes and funny videos. Some are clever, some are dark, and some are simply silly. This is how some people choose to cope with it.

Gen Z’s coping mechanism? Make it dark, make it aesthetic. 

Let’s be real, gen Z has grown up surrounded by crises — a pandemic, worsening climate change, economic crashes, and now, escalated global conflict. At this point, it’s just another Tuesday.

So when wars or nuclear threats trend online, it’s not surprising that the response isn’t panic — it’s punchlines.

Web exchanges go a little something like the following:

“I’d go to war — but only if I get Wi-Fi.”

“Can I be deployed somewhere with oat milk?”

“Draft me AFTER I finish this season of Love Island.”

It’s dark. But that’s the point. 

But is it OK to joke like this? Well, yes and no. War memes are part of a weird, ironic survival instinct. When you grow up in a world where every week brings “unprecedented events,” you either laugh or scream into a void (and then meme about screaming into a void).

Why? Because it is one of the only things you can do. Memes are fast, funny, and safe. Making a joke helps make something serious feel smaller, even if just for a moment. 

Humour is a way for people to deal with fear and stress. Psychologists say making jokes is a normal reaction when things feel out of control. It can even help people remember vital facts, especially when they’re told in a funny way.

On the flip side, there is a limit. These memes are about real events affecting real people. While an internet user posts a TikTok about dodging bombs “in style,” someone else is quite literally dodging bombs.

There’s a big difference between making light of a situation and making fun of the people living through it.

Some memes spread awareness. Some show how scared we all are. But others just treat serious news like the latest Netflix drama. That’s where it gets tricky.

Making jokes doesn’t mean you don’t care. But if you’re going to laugh, at least understand what you’re laughing about. Learn where the conflicts are. Read a real news story. Know who’s involved before you post a “Third World War aesthetic” video with sad music and eyeliner.

So what now?

Humour isn’t going away. It’s part of how this generation handles stress. If the world really is ending, you better believe generation Z will be livestreaming it, posting memes, and asking if the afterlife has decent Wi-Fi, oat milk, and Instagram filters.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s not a bad thing. Because behind the memes are real fears — and behind the jokes are people just trying to make sense of a world that doesn’t always make sense.

So go ahead, laugh. Post that meme. But just make sure you know what you’re laughing about — and who might be watching.