The Cultural Relevancy of Memes

The Cultural Relevance of Memes

Recently slandered as a "memer," I wondered about the cultural relevancy of such a form - as meming is definitely a force for social change and expression in the Digital Age. I consider memes relevant enough to Cyberculture to post here, and many in Academia agree with my assessment. 

"Essentially a 'meme' is a unit of culturally transmissible information," according to one such scholar. Credited to Richard Dawkins, the word now represents the product of a significant portion of Netizens who caption and/or modify images for online distribution. These pictures are usually socially or culturally relevant because they reference current events, politics, and newsworthy elements - especially those concerning Cyberculture.

However, as further proof of their influence, some memes create their own social and cultural relevance: Their popularity gives rise to trends, pidgin languages, dialects, communities, and more. The majority of these communities, and people affected, appear to be the most coveted demographics: The youngest age groups (13-17 and 18-34).

Memes have become socially relevant to the point that institutions such as The Smithsonian have noticed their importance and influence. I include memes here for many reasons, but mostly to record trends in Cyberculture.

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