What is a meme? A meme is an element of a culture or system of behavior that may be considered to be passed from one individual to another by non genetic means, especially imitation. Currently, most memes are formed from pictures or videos that people find amusing. Memes have become a very common part of social media culture. You can find them just about anywhere: Twitter, Instagram, maybe even MySpace.

Adults may not understand why they are so popular and why this generation seems to be so infatuated with them. The main purpose, of course, is entertainment. The internet is a place of laughter and memes have become a source of those laughs. Hailey Love ‘21 is convinced that “ it is purely for entertainment purposes and it really is an art form.”

But there are those that believe that they have a deep meaning. Those people believe that memes “serve as a coping mechanism because a lot of times memes are relatable…. And helps people be more optimistic about about certain things,” Christine Johnson ‘19.  Supporting the theme of a deeper message embedded in meme culture, Ariel Chumerly ‘20 believes it is “how we record our history through our lens” which is a different perspective.

Our generation has managed to make almost everything into a meme, from a newscaster blinking to a television host crying, even a green muppet frog drinking tea. If you haven’t seen these popular memes, I strongly advise you to go look them up and have a laugh.