Memes are Changing How the World Communicates

by Aarosh Subedi, age 11

You may think you are sending a joke when you share a meme with a friend. Although below the surface, memes are rapidly changing how the world communicates.

Some linguists argue that memes have been used for centuries. By their definitions, memes are just cultural ideas. For example, RickRolling was a trend where individuals sent anonymous links to one another, which, upon clicking, led users to the music video of the hit song “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley. While this meme required more work, a meme could also be as simple as jokes that spread by conversation.

The word meme has been used sixty times in the New York Times crossword.

It is hard to identify the first meme invented. However, Richard Dawkins, a British evolutionary writer who was famous for writing and publishing the book The Selfish Gene, is credited with introducing the term.

“I would explain the concept of a meme – a self-replicating chunk of information—by asking someone about an inside joke they had with friends or an advertising jungle that’s been stuck in their head for 20 years,” said linguistics professor Kirby Conrod. Repetition is very common, and humans like to repeat things, whether in public or on social media. If content replicates itself frequently, it can become a meme. Just like words, memes and the word itself can shift overtime.

Many people construct memes and the meanings of them in a social context. Webster’s New World College Dictionary describes memes as concepts, beliefs, or practices that hold cultural information that can be passed to different individuals. Jennifer Nycz, a professor and director of linguistics, pointed out that memes are no different than communication or knowledge creation. It is especially relevant in the case of memes, as people build content for others to see across the world and provide commentary.

Saint Hoax, an Instagram user with three million subscribers who posts many memes, defines memes as a piece of media repurposed to bring a cultural, social, or political feeling of humor. Interestingly, memes can increase the popularity of events, songs, television shows, and other content by creating viral trends. As Saint Hoax puts it, “The power of a meme lies in its transmissibility and unique knack for being cross-cultural.”

Memes are sharable by nature. For example, in 2022, when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, memes circulated like wildfire about the event and Will’s actions. “Memes have the uncanny ability to capture a moment while distracting people from reality,” Hoax added, “They encapsulate the era we are living in while also reminding us that it’s not all that serious.” Creating and sharing memes fosters a sense of community and develops a feeling of exclusivity – overall, humor brings people together.

Memes have evolved drastically over time, and it is impossible to count them all. From memes of cats to recent ones regarding today’s trends, memes have become a natural way humans communicate and create a sense of community. Memes bring people worldwide together and will only continue to develop and change over time.

[Source: The New York Times]