Internet meme
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| - | The term '''Internet meme''' is a phrase used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the [[Internet]], much like an [[inside joke]]. The term is a reference to the concept of [[meme]]s, although this concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information. | + | |
| + | An '''Internet meme''' is an activity, concept, catchphrase or piece of media which spreads, often as [[imitation|mimicry]] or for [[humor|humorous purposes]], from person to person via the [[Internet]]. An Internet meme may also take the form of an [[image]] (typically an [[image macro]]), [[hyperlink]], [[video]], [[website]], or [[hashtag]]. It may be just a word or phrase, sometimes including an intentional [[misspelling]]. These small movements tend to spread from person to person via [[social network]]s, [[blog]]s, direct [[email]], or news sources. They may relate to various existing [[Internet culture]]s or [[subculture]]s, often created or spread on various websites, or by [[Usenet]] boards and other such early-internet communications facilities. Fads and sensations tend to grow rapidly on the Internet, because the instant communication facilitates [[word-of-mouth]] transmission. Some examples include posting a photo of people lying down in public places (called "[[planking (fad)|planking]]") and uploading a short video of people dancing to the [[Harlem Shake (meme)|Harlem Shake]]. | ||
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| + | The word ''[[meme]]'' was coined by [[Richard Dawkins]] in his 1976 book ''[[The Selfish Gene]]'', as an attempt to explain the way cultural information spreads; ''Internet'' memes are a subset of this general meme concept specific to the [[Internet culture|culture]] and environment of the Internet. The concept of the Internet meme was first proposed by [[Mike Godwin]] in the June 1993 issue of [[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]. In 2013 Dawkins characterized an ''Internet'' meme as being a meme deliberately altered by human creativity—distinguished from biological genes and Dawkins' pre-Internet concept of a meme which involved mutation by random change and spreading through accurate replication as in Darwinian selection. Dawkins explained that Internet memes are thus a "hijacking of the original idea", the very idea of a meme having mutated and evolved in this new direction. Further, Internet memes carry an additional property that ordinary memes do not—Internet memes leave a footprint in the media through which they propagate (for example, social networks) that renders them traceable and analyzable. | ||
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| + | [[Image macro]]s are often confused with internet memes and are often miscited as such, usually by their creators. However, there is a key distinction between the two. Primarily this distinction lies within the subject's recognizability in internet [[pop-culture]]. While such an image may display an existing meme, or in fact a macro itself may even eventually become a meme, it does not qualify as one until it reaches approximately the same level of mass recognition as required for a person to be considered a [[celebrity]].{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}--> | ||
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| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | * [[Cliché]] | ||
| + | * [[List of Internet phenomena]] | ||
| + | * [[Remix culture]] | ||
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Revision as of 15:24, 10 October 2017
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An Internet meme is an activity, concept, catchphrase or piece of media which spreads, often as mimicry or for humorous purposes, from person to person via the Internet. An Internet meme may also take the form of an image (typically an image macro), hyperlink, video, website, or hashtag. It may be just a word or phrase, sometimes including an intentional misspelling. These small movements tend to spread from person to person via social networks, blogs, direct email, or news sources. They may relate to various existing Internet cultures or subcultures, often created or spread on various websites, or by Usenet boards and other such early-internet communications facilities. Fads and sensations tend to grow rapidly on the Internet, because the instant communication facilitates word-of-mouth transmission. Some examples include posting a photo of people lying down in public places (called "planking") and uploading a short video of people dancing to the Harlem Shake.
The word meme was coined by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, as an attempt to explain the way cultural information spreads; Internet memes are a subset of this general meme concept specific to the culture and environment of the Internet. The concept of the Internet meme was first proposed by Mike Godwin in the June 1993 issue of Wired. In 2013 Dawkins characterized an Internet meme as being a meme deliberately altered by human creativity—distinguished from biological genes and Dawkins' pre-Internet concept of a meme which involved mutation by random change and spreading through accurate replication as in Darwinian selection. Dawkins explained that Internet memes are thus a "hijacking of the original idea", the very idea of a meme having mutated and evolved in this new direction. Further, Internet memes carry an additional property that ordinary memes do not—Internet memes leave a footprint in the media through which they propagate (for example, social networks) that renders them traceable and analyzable.
Image macros are often confused with internet memes and are often miscited as such, usually by their creators. However, there is a key distinction between the two. Primarily this distinction lies within the subject's recognizability in internet pop-culture. While such an image may display an existing meme, or in fact a macro itself may even eventually become a meme, it does not qualify as one until it reaches approximately the same level of mass recognition as required for a person to be considered a celebrity.Template:Citation needed-->
See also
