At the turn of the last century when the internet became accessible, social media started making its way into our lives. At first, social media was used mostly for interpersonal communication. But that started changing over time.
People started spending more time in consuming content rather than in interacting with one another on social media websites. So the demand for feel-good content like funny images and videos rose over time. Newer content had to be developed daily to keep users entertained and coming back for more and more. The concept of memes emerged during this time. What they are and how they got so popular – read on to find out all about them.
What are memes?
The term memes was first used by Richard Dawkins in a 1976 publication. He used it to explain the idea of a cultural notion travelling from one community to another like a trait is passed on in a family through genes. This is not the context in which the term is used nowadays. But the principle of conveying one idea to many people remains the same. This is exactly what a meme does. It conveys an idea, belief or emotion to a large number of people through funny images or videos and a small text.
Where do you find memes?
Memes owe their popularity to social media websites where they are shared through various meme pages but there are also many websites like putput where you will find a ton of funny videos and funny images. These websites contain a host of memes which are arranged according to category and through studying the algorithm of the posts you have interacted with, they find the memes that will be to your exact tastes and liking. You can share them with your friends and family or save them to go through at the end of a rough day. Memes are instant mood lifters and can help you lighten up within seconds. Memes even take on heavy topics like politics and injustices but they are dealt with humorously so more people find them very engaging. There are whole pages and websites dedicated to just memes and making and sharing memes has become a favourite pastime with many people around the world.
Their wildly growing popularity
Memes are so popular nowadays that it is almost impossible to use social media without scrolling past a few memes. They have a very high universally recognisable quality so you could send a meme to someone on the other side of the world and chances are that they will get exactly what you are talking about. Be it funny, sarcastic or sad, memes can convey anything without using too many words. They just seem like an easier method of communication so most people turn to them.
Memes are extremely engaging so many times people go down the rabbit hole of scrolling constantly. Brands have started making use of this modern day practise by advertising through memes on various social media websites.
People have started seeking refuge and validation through these images and videos used alongside some text.
To Conclude
Memes are going to be here for a while and they are going to penetrate many more layers of human life as time goes by. There will come a time when most issues are handled by memes and that seems like the best way forward. Easy to make and share, inexpensive and universally relevant are just some factors that contribute to the popularity of memes. As long as these qualities are not compromised on, memes will continue to remain popular.
