Origin of Memes
Now, we can define an internet meme as an "activity, concept, catchphrase or piece of media which spreads, often as mimicry, from person to person via the Internet" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme). As this definition is very broad, it covers a lot of ground. Some of the first "memes" were videos of people lying face-down in public places, or "planking." As many found this activity humorous, it spread nation-wide in what felt like overnight. Hundreds of people were finding new and different places where they could plank, each video building on the last. People were planking in stores, park benches, and any other public surface they could balance themselves on. What is key about a meme is that it has to reach mass recognition, as planking did. However, as memes often do, the craze died out almost as soon as it arrived.
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPH6pleCKj0