Memes have been an integral part of Internet culture for years now, to the extent that even our parents and educators know of them. But memes transcend the unmeasurable realm of the Internet and always have.
The word “meme” comes from the Greek word “mimēma”, which refers to something that is imitated, and was coined by biologist Richard Dawkins. A meme is simply “an element of a culture or system of behavior passed from one individual to another by imitation or other non-genetic means”. Memes have always been an active part of culture, though they have not always been humorous. But they have always been relatable--in fact, relatability is essential to a meme’s survival.
Internet memes are notable in that they have managed to transcend the normal limits of a commonplace meme. They must be able to survive despite specific linguistic, cultural and societal barriers in order to be successful. For example, a meme specific to the United States will unlikely gain a viral status elsewhere. On the other hand, a meme that reflects a broad emotional experience will likely gain a viral status outside of its country of origin. For example, Fourth of July memes are only viral in the United States whereas the Kermit meme has gone viral in countries around the world. It’s important to note that memes can maintain various types of humor, from innocent jokes to political satire.
So, why do memes matter? Why should we care about the impact of memes on Internet culture?
A common narrative about the Internet is that it’s part of a virtual reality. We are different people online than we are offline. That narrative is deeply flawed.
Many of us act differently online, without a doubt. But that’s only because we’re in a different environment, one where we are able to monitor, create and engage in content at a level impossible elsewhere. The Internet provides us with more experimental opportunities than the real world in terms of content. We can create a fake profile, publish stories under pen names and post fake information without ever being caught. Similarly, we can create profiles for ourselves on social media sites, post content that only puts us on a pedestal and post whatever will gain us the most likes. But are our actions online not indicative of our character offline?
The double-reality narrative says so. But our actions online do indeed reflect who we are offline.
During the 2015-2016 election cycle in the United States, the alt-right (the political label that many Neo-Nazis have assigned themselves) were struggling to gain footing in mainstream politics. Richard Spencer, the leader of the growing movement, knew his beliefs were extreme--after all, they reveal the fact that he’s a Neo-Nazi. He had to find a way to normalize the extremity of the alt-right if he ever hoped to influence politics in his favor. Spencer expanded the fringe group to a mainstream platform using manipulation and relatability. The most popular way he did so was online, where it was harder for his extremity to be condemned.
Richard Spencer used memes to get his white nationalist messages across using the Pepe the Frog meme. And since then, various memes have been utilized by fringe groups of the political right to draw in supporters. The method has worked. Even Malik Obama--Barack Obama's half-brother--was able to gain popularity amongst the alt-right due to the particular meme usage. In short, the alt-right’s message and platform was spread, received and normalized through memes.
Political memes have always been an Internet norm, but the alt-right was arguably the first group to use them to persuade voters. And their efforts worked.
I don't see memes as a one-sided, depressing innovation, however. But I do believe they need to be taken more seriously. Memes are a way of communicating, even if those communications are more innocent than Spencer's. They reveal our humor, and therefore elements of our character. Collectively, they reveal elements of our character as a society. We have to be careful with which ones we make viral because they have impacts on our lives offline.
Whether we like it or not, memes are a part of the Internet’s ever-expanding lexicon. And we're going to have to realize their full impact if we want a better society.
