If you’re a regular social media user then you’re no stranger to the combination of a picture and a witty caption called meme that is taking the Internet by storm nowadays.
The appeal of memes comes from several factors. First, the meme has an advantage to the fierce competition for viewers’ attention span on the Internet because a picture with a caption transports a message much faster than a video or an article.
Another factor that makes memes go viral is that people have the tendency to patronize anything deemed “cool” that can help them feel they ‘belong’ to a certain group or subculture.
You could also get addicted to viewing and sharing memes because we all want to connect with other people through shared emotions such as happiness, excitement or nostalgia.
Social media aids in these connections and makes them possible on a larger scale. As social media expands to more platforms, the frequency of meme-sharing increases due to bigger exposure.
Social sharing does not spread memes necessarily, but it is a powerful tool in their development. Memes, when done in the context of humor or sentimentality (as opposed to being offensive or discriminating), can be a great way to connect people from all walks of life, all over the world.
Memes could have seasonal patterns, and sometimes follow the anxieties and fads of the day. These can be the observance of special occasions, or sparked by trending events. Perhaps memes that remind you of one another do well because they feed off one another’s attention. Just as genres emerge in music, literature and art, Internet memes are no exception.
Do you also spend a significant amount of screen time sharing or creating memes? Do you think they are useful or just another online time-waster?
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