What is a meme? What you need to know about the cultural phenomena – USA TODAY

If you have spent any time scrolling throughthe internet,you have probably encountered a meme. From Grumpy Catto Spider-Man pointing at another version of himself, memes are constantly being shared and altered over time.

Memes can be funny,satirical orcute. However, some memes canbedark and can potentially spread disinformation.

But what exactly is a meme? What do memes mean and how do they spread? Here's what you need to know.

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According to Merriam-Webster, there are two definitions for meme:

In general terms, memes can be anything, whether itbe a video, image or GIF, thatspreads and is repeated over time, becoming more entrenched within culture, said Mary Ingram-Waters, Ph.D., associatedean and professor at the University of Nevada-Reno Honors College.

"Memeshave to be translatable within a particular demographic group a group that hasa shared language, shared meanings, shared culture," she explained. "Memesthat really go viral, that really take off, can cross boundaries.So, they can be legible to lots of different kinds of groups."

A meme is an idea shortcut, triggering an understanding of something in multiple ways, said Ingram-Waters.For instance, an image of a dog making a side-eye glance can be utilized in a meme to call an idea or scenario into question or to denote suspicion.

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The term "meme" was coined in 1976 by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his book, "The Selfish Gene."Along with memes comes memetics.

The word nowis defined as "the study of memes" but memeticsdescribes how ideas reproduce, change and evolve.Dawkins used"meme" to representanypiece of cultural information or content which operates viareplication, alterationand mutation,survivingthroughdissemination.

As a result, memes area cultural equivalent to a genein the sense they are passed from person-to-person and can be the basis for an evolutionary process.Just as there aregene pools of different iterations and characteristicsdue to replication over time,there are meme pools based on the same principles.

In other words, memes are similar toviruses they spread, replicate and make their way into facets of culture, leaving lasting impacts on history, similar to how viruses infect populations.

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If it has a message or meaning behind it, anything can be a meme. A meme can includea video, image, text, GIF, among other mediums.

While you can use a popular image or person, such as Kim Kardashian yawning, you can use any random thing to make a meme. So long as the emotion and meaning behind the creation is recognizable and identifiable, you have made a meme, said Ingram-Waters.

The main key to a meme is its ability to be replicated. Take the woman yelling at the cat meme.

While the two images werenot connected in the beginning, they come together to form a meme featuring former "Real Housewivesof Beverly Hills"star Taylor Armstrong yelling at awhite cat sitting in front of a plate of vegetables.Armstrong's facial expression denote anger and frustration, while the cat looks equally as bothered and unenthused.

These emotions drive the memetic nature of the image. People can insert whatever statement, phrase or saying into the meme so long as it relates back to the emotions displayed, making itresonatewith a demographic.

"The woman who's upset and the cat who's staring at her in an accusatory way that can be recreated with other animals.It can be recreated with people," said Ingram-Waters. "You could rant. You can just put very random things in there. Butthat juxtaposition (of emotions) itself has become the memetic device."

Anything can act as a meme, all it needs is a relatability and the capability for revamping.

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What is a meme? What you need to know about the cultural phenomena - USA TODAY