Speaking In Memes
When you are online today, it’s impossible not to see a meme. When most people think of memes, they probably think of something similar to the picture above. While this meme is very common, there are also many other kinds. In the online world, an Internet meme usually refers to a piece of culture, typically a joke, which gains influence through online transmission. In the past however, memes were hard to define. When looking at the Davison reading, he compares memes to genes in order for us to gain a better understanding of what a meme originally was. He says, genes determine an organism’s physical characteristics and memes determine the behavior of an organism. Therefore, really any behavior was a meme. This could have been things that people were taught or things people learned through experience.
Internet memes are unique for many reasons but mostly because of their speed of transmission and fidelity of their form. In the past, a spoken joke could only be transmitted by those who knew it and remembered it from memory. This reminded me of the oral era where information was told from memory and only to people in your community or close by. Today, jokes/ memes on the Internet can be sent to any one anywhere in a matter of seconds. This really reflects a post modern society because the limitations of space and memory no longer exist.
Another important aspect of Memes is that they usually lack attribution meaning the author does not gain recognition. The article says some people disregard this because they think memes are worthless and because they can be transformed, replicated, and transmitted so it becomes more difficult.
Thinking about memes as a discourse I know I use memes to communicate with my friends on a daily basis. Memes tend to be all over my Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook so anytime I see something relatable or a meme that reminds me of my friends ill tag them in it. For example, the meme I posted below is one that I would tag one of my friends in. This is because it relates to the show Stranger Things which we binge watched together. When people tag friends in memes or even share ones they enjoy it says a lot about them. In the article about memes in relation to politics, it stated that Memes create identity, individualization, and a personal voice. They allow us to share things that we think are funny or creative. By me sharing this meme, it shows people the kinds of shows I like as well as my sense of humor.
With politics in particular, I think memes are important. During the election years especially this one, memes get made daily of the candidates. I know that after the debates this year I have gone to Facebook and my whole timeline has been memes of Hilary Clinton or Donald Trump. With politics memes are important because when they are shared it shows which candidate you support as well as your opinion on certain political topics. In addition, memes are important with politics because they are meant to be funny so it shows your opinion in a less harsh way. People tend to not speak about politics because it can be a sensitive and touchy subject. By sharing memes, the tension is almost taken away because of the humor that usually comes with them. Below I posted examples of memes relating to this years candidates.
