How wholesome memes could save us all

It is time to rekindle the idea of netizens – upstanding internet citizens that band together to tackle important global problems, writes Annalee Newitz

Technology

| Comment

26 August 2020

By Annalee Newitz

William West/AFP via Getty Images

IT STARTED with Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the anodyne casual game where you are on an island populated by cute, talking animals. You can go fishing for bits and bobs, or try out other gentle activities like fossil collecting, shopping and chatting with your friends. Released for the Nintendo Switch in March, just as the coronavirus was spreading across the world, it became an enormous hit and continues to be a cultural obsession.

Shoot-em-all games like Fortnite are still popular during what some Californians are calling “the ronie times”, but Animal Crossing is the …