THE memes they have become an integral part of our daily lives, overcoming linguistic and cultural barriers to express ideas, emotions and irony. To be clear, these are typically graphic contents (images, GIFs or video clips) and of an ironic or humorous nature which are shared above all on social networks. These are real expressions of our culture that are transmitted through imitation or replication. Let’s think about famous memes like the Distracted Boyfriend or Woman Yelling at a Catjust to name a few.
But what exactly is a memes? The term was coined in 1976 by the biologist Richard Dawkins to indicate “a cultural unit” that spreads through imitation and adaptation, a bit like genes do in biology. Memes as we understand them today transform even very complex concepts into a universal and participatory language and adapt very well to social media and their operating rules (speed and shareability).
What are memes and where do they originate: from Dawking to social media
The term “meme” was introduced in 1976 by biologist Richard Dawkins in the book The Selfish Gene. Dawkins defined it as a cultural unit that is transmitted from one person to another through imitationsimilar to how genes transmit biological information. According to Dawkins, memes they can include ideas, behaviors, or symbols and they spread following principles of selection and adaptation: some survive and evolve, others disappear. For example, the phrase “Bon appetit!”, a common expression in many cultures, represents a cultural behavior (a cultural unit as Dawkins puts it) that spreads not out of biological necessity, but for its ability to be easily replicablememorable and significant for those who adopt it.
This theory was later applied to the digital worldwhere memes became shareable visual or textual content. Limor Shifman (2014) explored this evolution, highlighting how digital memes follow very rapid dynamics of mutation and replication, often in response to global events or trends. This makes them dynamic cultural tools, capable of reflecting and influencing the collective imagination.
How and why memes have become a tool of social identity
Memes contribute to the construction and negotiation of social identity. As Erving Goffman points out, the interactions we have on a daily basis are performances (a bit like those in the theater) in which individuals, like actors, try to present themselves to others in a certain way. Memes become tools to express one’s personality, cultural affiliation or political opinion.
This concept is better understood if we think about digital culture, where memes they create real virtual communities. A case in point is the phenomenon of memes linked to virtual platforms such as Fortnite or Minecraft. In these spaces, players create content that becomes memes within the communitystrengthening a sense of belonging. A famous meme is the “Creeper, aww man!” of Minecraft, which crossed gaming boundaries to become a phenomenon on platforms like YouTube and Reddit.
The use of memes, therefore, strengthens the sense of belonging, as it requires a shared understanding of the cultural references that are involved in a certain image or video.
Not only that: publishing a meme that ironically comments on a current event is a way of saying “I’m in step with the times” or “I think so too”.
Why memes are so successful: the power of humor
Humor is an essential component of memes. Sociologically, it functions as a means to process social conflicts and address collective anxieties. For example, according to Zappavigna, memes have served an important cathartic function during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing people to exorcise fear through laughter.
Humorous memes also deliver an opportunity to subvert power hierarchies. According to sociologist Bakhtin, humor and parody allow subaltern groups to express dissent by creating a sort of space of cultural resistance. And it is in fact in this regard that political scientist John Hartley observes that memes represent a form of “people power”, in which collective creativity challenges dominant narratives, offering a particular voice to marginalized groups.
