If Kamala Harris was quick to embrace TikTok and other platforms to invigorate a lacklustre presidential campaign, the digital world responded with rapid-fire enthusiasm. 

An array of viral memes are already circulating, emphasising the positive traits of the woman who made history in 2020 when she became the first black and South Asian woman to serve as US vice president.

She will be hoping to defy the odds again in November. Of the 15 vice presidents who went on to become president themselves, only four of those won a presidential election.

This contest, however, will stand out for another reason. It is already evident that it will be fought on social media, with a proliferation of posts and memes so steeped in pop culture that many observers will need an accompanying glossary.

For instance, British singer-songwriter Charli XCX has called the US vice president a “brat”, a reference to her own album title, and a label meant as a compliment. In the shape shifting virtual world, the modern iteration of ‘brat’ is a person who is messy, confident, and loud.

There was no need for help in interpreting a recent post from Donald Trump, a veteran of social media manipulation and master of the quotable (often questionable) soundbite. He wrote that his likely opponent was “as dumb as a rock”.

Mr Trump has form: “Crooked Hillary” ran like an earworm lyric throughout his 2016 campaign.

Kamala Harris, though, is gearing up to give as good as she gets. She has already modelled herself as the former prosecutor who can take on the felon, Donald Trump.

Mr Trump’s running mate, Ohio senator JD Vance, is also an adept user of social media, unafraid to be provocative and personal. There will be a laser focus on what candidates say in the heated present, but the spotlight will also be on indiscretions of the past. The re-emergence of a clip in which Mr Vance dismissed Ms Harris as a miserable “childless cat lady” — despite the fact she has two step-children — has rightly drawn criticism.

Mr Vance also included Pete Buttigieg in those remarks. The US transportation secretary and his husband have since adopted twins. He now features on a list of possible running mates for Kamala Harris. The frontrunners, though, are Arizona senator Mark Kelly, governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro, and governor of North Carolina Roy Cooper.

Assuming Kamala Harris becomes the Democrat nominee, her next challenge will be to decide which one can bring the most to the ticket. Can we expect a ‘brat pack’ meme to follow? It remains to be seen, but one thing is certain — social media will be a major player in this election.

Disability activists welcome blind Barbie 

Toy company Mattel may be a commercial concern with profitability as its bottom line, yet it has done incalculable good by producing a range of Barbie dolls that push the boundaries.

The release of a blind Barbie is the latest in a series of dolls that celebrate inclusion and show children that difference and disability should be embraced. Since the first Barbie appeared 65 years ago, the iconic doll has had 250 different careers and has been manufactured with nine different body types and in 35 skin tones.

In this case, Mattel worked with the American Foundation for the Blind to make sure the doll, which comes with a cane and sunglasses, was an accurate depiction of people with blindness and low vision.

When a disability activist such as Lucy Edwards welcomes the doll, it is a sign of real success. She said she found losing her eyesight very isolating and it would have helped her feel less embarrassed by her cane if she knew Barbie had one.

Children discover and explore the world through play and it is vital to give them toys that reflect all of the people in it.