Memes

Origin of Memes

The word meme was originally coined by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. It is derived from the Greek word mimema which means something to be imitated.  At this point, memes were described by evolutionary biologists as a form of cultural currency. The problem with this was it was impossible to study because no one had a clear definition of what a meme is. This was until the generation of internet memes which are something that can clearly be defined and studied empirically. 

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. While this activity only became widespread when it hit the internet, it is difficult to tell what the origins are. However, according to Wikipedia, it hit the internet when schoolboys started a Facebook page of pictures of themselves and their friends planking. According to the creators of the Facebook page, Gary Clarkson and Christian Langdon of Taunton, England, they were just bored. 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. 
 

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