Internet Memes

I've decided to start looking at the recent acceleration in an internet phenomenon known as memes. An internet meme is something that might take the form of as an image, hyperlink, video, website or hashtag. 

According to the Meriam-Webster dictionary. a meme is 'an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture'. 

The origin of the word comes from Richard Dawkin's book, 'The Selfish Gene'. Dawkins wrote that evolution depended not on the particular chemical basis of genetics, but only on the existence of a self-replicating unit of transmission—in the case of biological evolution, the gene. For Dawkins, the meme exemplified another self-replicating unit with potential significance in explaining human behavior and cultural evolution.

'An Internet meme may stay the same or may evolve over time, by chance or through commentary, imitations, parody, or by incorporating news accounts about itself. Internet memes can evolve and spread extremely rapidly, sometimes reaching world-wide popularity within a few days. Internet memes usually are formed from some social interaction, pop culture reference, or situations people often find themselves in. Their rapid growth and impact has caught the attention of both researchers and industry'.  

Kempe, David; Kleinberg, Jon; Tardos, Eva (2003). - Maximizing the spread of influence through a social network - Source

I am going to look at how certain memes have changed the way the viewer's perception of content changes through the use of viral distribution