The Digital Representation of Greta Thunberg in Internet Memes: Gender, Ideology, and Digital Violence

This article analyzes the representation of climate activist Greta Thunberg in internet memes, revealing how gendered and ideological discourses intersect within digital culture. While Thunberg has become an emblematic figure of contemporary environmental activism, her image circulates far beyond political and journalistic contexts, turning into a site of contestation within participatory meme culture. Drawing on qualitative, in-depth content analysis of three image macro–type memes collected from dozens of major platforms, the study identifies recurring strategies of sexualization, mockery, and dehumanization that target Thunberg’s age, gender, and her neurodivergent condition. Far from being harmless humor, these memes operate as instruments of symbolic violence that reproduce misogynistic, ableist, and climate-denialist narratives. When referring to the activist, it was confirmed that few memes focus on the relationship between her and the environmental cause, and it became evident that memes with strongly sexualizing content were being created, portraying the activist in an erotic and even pornographic tone. The article advances understanding of how digital artifacts mediate public perceptions of environmental activism while reinforcing broader structures of sexism and political polarization online.