OCTOBER 2014
11
Making fun of Ebola is sadly just part of a larger trend of offensive and insensitive jokes in an attempt to go against societal standards. Making fun of everything from Jews at concentration camps to human trafficking is the newest way for teens to be risky online and push the boundaries of culturally acceptable material. The “humor” in these jokes comes from the unexpected insensitivity, and as a result, often elicits shocked laughter.
As teens, we need to draw the line. No, Ebola is not funny, and neither is any other joke about a sensitive or offensive topic. Even though your friends may laugh, these statements are not justified and certainly shouldn’t be posted on social media and shared with the world.
Doing so just perpetuates misconceptions and removes the humanity and suffering from these topics, which certainly doesn’t help people emphasize and solve these issues. If teens grow up laughing at the misery of others and treating their suffering as a joke, how are they going to make this world a better place? We need to stand against trends that degrade and poke fun at people who are suffering horrors that we can’t even imagine. That’s why I say it’s time to stop the Ebola jokes.