1

How Do Memes Affect People’s Ways of Communicating on Social Media?

Group 3

212001 Yau Pak Yu

225107 Chong Lam Ho

223C10 He, Feng Xiao

211139 Poon Hau Wing, Vanny

211145 Ng Ching

230051 Ng Yee Wa

235A37 Ching Chun

JOUR230.01 Tech Change & Human Communication

Dr. Ken Chu

April 29, 2024

Word count:
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Introduction

"Memes," as conceptualized by Richard Dawkins in his seminal work The Selfish

Gene (1976), is a term that refers to any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or

idea, which gets transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another. With

the rise of the internet, however, the term gained a more specific meaning. The evolution of

memes from simple pictorial representations to complex polysemic compositions reflects the

intermingling of digital media technology, culture, and human cognition. Memes in the

digital age are a fusion of text, image, and connotation, rendering them a new form of

communication. This transformative adaptation signifies another fascinating aspect, the

deferment of their meaning from the producer to the consumer. Now more than ever, the

interpretation of the meme's meaning is dictated by the consumers or the viewers, defying the

conventional communication paradigm and emphasizing the implication of this power shift in

the digital age. It's equally crucial to put into perspective how memes and social media

platforms have evolved together, influencing each other over time. One could argue that the

democratization of meme creation would not have been possible without the advancement of

technology and the proliferation of social platforms. On the other hand, the growth of these

platforms has been catalyzed by the allure of memes. This mutually beneficial relationship

warrants some exploration as it contributes to understanding why and how memes have

become integral to digital communication.

Nowadays, when people speak of memes, they typically refer to humorous images,

videos, or text that are copied, often with slight variations, shared by users across social

media platforms. They are elements of internet culture that symbolize and communicate a

specific idea or a sentiment, whether it is light-hearted humor, satire, or political

commentary. The proliferation of memes and their influence has been so profound that there's

a lot of talk about us living in the "era of the meme." They have become ubiquitous, shaping
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and reflecting our digital culture. But what is perhaps fascinating is how memes have

revolutionized the way we communicate on social media. The value of memes lies in their

ability to capture, distill, and convey complex feelings, attitudes, or social circumstances

simply and creatively. They allow for a shared understanding among groups, creating a sense

of belonging and community. They also serve as an efficient means of providing

commentary, criticism, or satire relative to current events, society, politics, and pop culture.

Moreover, the shared humor that memes offer can be a form of stress relief, while some use

memes as a way to identify and connect with others who have a similar sense of humor or

perspective on a subject.

The crux of this study focuses on the question, how do memes affect people’s ways of

communicating on social media? To investigate this, the study will be primarily delved into

several key areas. These areas include the psychological impact of memes, their role in

shaping group dynamics on social media platforms, and their effect on language and

communication.

Firstly, looking at the psychological standpoint, there is no denying that memes are

influential. They are engaging and easily digestible, making complex ideas understandable

and relatable. This makes them an excellent tool for persuasion and propagation of ideas.

Secondly, in terms of group dynamics, memes generate a collective identity and sense of

belonging. By sharing and enjoying the same memes, social media users feel a shared

understanding and bond. This strengthens the interpersonal relationships within the group.

Lastly, memes have a profound impact on language and communication. They have

popularized internet-specific language and slang, altering conventions of spelling and

punctuation while also shaping the manner in which we express emotions and ideas digitally.

They have made communication more nuanced, visual, and interactive.

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Our methodology involves in-depth interviews as detailed in the following sections.

Further elaborations on these matters will be presented in the subsequent sections of the paper

where we will discuss in detail our data collection method, the study's key findings, as well as

practical and theoretical implications of those findings.

Method

The primary objective of this scholarly research venture encompassed a

comprehensive exploration into the extent of popularity and the range of influence wielded

by memes within the public sphere. This endeavor necessitated the utilization of a qualitative

research framework that prioritized a thorough investigation into the intricate layers of

meanings and the acquisition of a plethora of qualitative data. More specifically, the central

aim of this academic inquiry revolved around delving deeply into the complex mechanisms

responsible for the dissemination of memes across diverse networks and the subsequent

impacts of their widespread circulation on cultural and social dynamics.

The purposive sampling method employed for participant selection in this academic

inquiry ensured the involvement of fourteen individuals who were active users of digital

communication platforms such as WeChat, WhatsApp, and other analogous tools. Through

the meticulous implementation of this selection procedure, it was ensured that the chosen

respondents possessed direct exposure to the subject under scrutiny, thereby significantly

enhancing the likelihood of obtaining profound insights into the utilization of memes.

Furthermore, the participants were evenly distributed between male and female individuals

within the age bracket of 18 to 26 years, a demographic recognized for its substantial

involvement on social media platforms, rendering them apt candidates for investigations into

the dissemination and ramifications of memes.

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Each interview that constituted a component of this study spanned a timeframe

ranging from 15 to 30 minutes, a duration deemed sufficient to enable the research

participants to express their perspectives and opinions on the subject matter without

encountering any semblance of fatigue or disinterest. Subsequent to the culmination of the

interview sessions, the researcher meticulously collated and organized the insights garnered

from each interaction into a structured tabular format, thereby facilitating a systematic

analysis of the accumulated data. The methodical arrangement of the condensed information

encapsulated the varied viewpoints of each individual regarding memes, ultimately

augmenting the clarity and comprehensiveness of the conclusions derived from the survey.

Literature Review

Memes have turned into a prevailing constituent of social media culture, where one

uses humor, sarcasm, criticism, or information with a mix of an image and short texts to get

the message across. They are dynamic and allow ease of sharing, thereby making them the

preferred way of communication. Social media memes are vital for dialoguing cultures; they

provide a virtual ground on which the world's ideas can come together in a pool of cross-

cultural exchange. Memes generally use funny text as well as stereotypes in which most

internet users can relate to, making them help engage and interact (2023).

The extensive use of social media has led to intense competition among ideas for

limited attention. As memes vie for engagement, only a small number go viral, while most do

not. This competition affects the popularity of different memes, reducing information

diversity and leading to a decline in collective interest in specific topics (Weng et al., 2012).

Memes, although often amusing, can also play a role in social deterioration. Some

memes have a harmful impact on society by spreading false information and reinforcing
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harmful stereotypes. These negative effects can sway public opinion and influence social

behavior, resulting in a decline in societal values (Bhattacharya, 2019).

Memes can be viewed as speech acts, offering a familiar medium for online

communication. Image macros, a distinct type of meme, convey messages by combining

images and text. The online community's interpretation of these memes helps facilitate

communication, enabling users to understand and recreate them for various purposes

(Grundlingh, 2018).

Memes are also utilized in social media marketing, especially among younger users.

They have become a potent instrument for brand communication, significantly boosting

engagement rates on social networks. This marketing impact highlights the adaptability of

memes in connecting with and engaging diverse audiences (Yang & Hayashi, 2021).

Memes contribute to shaping social media personas, giving users the flexibility to

experiment with various facets of their identity. The meanings embedded in the memes that

individuals share are linked to their online persona, building a bridge between their online

and offline identities (Du Preez & Lombard, 2014).

Memes are a potent communication tool on social media, impacting intercultural

communication, marketing, and the formation of online personas. Despite their benefits,

memes can also have adverse effects by contributing to misinformation and social decline.

Understanding the complex role of memes in communication is crucial to leveraging their

positive potential while addressing and reducing their negative consequences.

Findings

The use and social associations to Memes

At present, the use of memes has matured, and memes are basically used to talk to

people in any circle. Even data analysis found that most people have replaced typing or
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recording with memes to communicate with others. In the questionnaire, it can be seen that

more respondents use memes.

Regarding question 1, the majority have a clear understanding of Memes. The

interviewees think memes typically present humor, sarcasm, or specific meanings of images,

videos, or text to express commentary efficiently. The memes are used on Social media daily

to spread social conditions widely to express thoughts, humor, and commentary. They think

memes can quickly propagate and give rise to new variations. Question 2 is about the

application and the reason for using memes. Reviewing the data, some of the interviewees

use memes daily and some often use them, therefore we know that memes are the popular

expression choices. Through the interview also understood people usually use Memes with

close friends but not typically in conversations with elders, the seventh interviewee felt great

about using Memes, she said “When you come across a meme that resonates with you, there's

a good chance that others who share your interests will also find it funny”. The reason for

using Memes is to create a lighthearted and humorous vibe, respond to messages, and express

emotions.

Discover yourself and spice up conversations through Memes

From the point of question 4, the interviewees think Memes can make the receivers

more understanding and resonate in the communication. Memes make the conversation more

accurate, convenient, and less serious, these make people feel comfortable to keep talking

with you. Memes as an expression tool, become an easy way to make friends understand and

make the topic more fascinating, they help to relate with friends and make people feel

engaged in the conversations. As the second interviewee said, “Memes have led to the

shortening of conversation in a good way as you can just use memes such as GIFs or PNGs to
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express your current feelings on a certain issue and you do not have to write a lot". Therefore,

most of the interviewees in question 5 believe Memes can be an effective way to connect

with others on social media, but only based on the same interests. When the members have

the same interests, Memes can reinforce the group. The third interviewee said "I use memes

to share my feelings with friends, no need to type text or record voice", that is the reason why

most of the interviewees think Memes are a nice thing to communicate with a friend and

become human texting necessary. Memes have already become a Global Language

nowadays, they cross language and cultural barriers conveying emotions information humor,

and simplicity. Besides, there is a dual nature of Memes, they can enhance the opportunity to

communicate with a new group and become their common language, but Memes will lead to

misunderstandings between people. As well as, the seventh interviewee also thinks “It

depends on what kind of person the other person is, because if the other person also likes

memes, then our communication becomes interesting and continuous. But if the other person

doesn’t like it, memes can interfere with good communication”, thus Memes do not help

people communicate with others easily if they do not have common interests and it is an

unsolved problem for Memes. Facing question 6, there are ten interviewees who agree with

question 6, they said "Memes are often created around a specific community, interest, or

culture, and they can serve as a form of shared language or humor that strengthens bonds

between specific people. By referencing jokes, shared experiences, or shared values, memes

can create a sense of belonging and friendship within a community". Memes especially help

users to open to stereotypes, for example, Memes can help them to see meanings in different

aspects and acknowledge more personal good or bad identity. Question 7 is focused on using

Memes if the group members have the same interests. First, Memes can strengthen social

cohesion and connection to provoke sympathetic responses to current social affairs, then they

can cause and increase the exposure of social topics to increase the interaction among people.
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Secondly, referring to the interviewees' point, they think Memes can increase the number of

topics among friends in the same community, and cause common topics for people who have

similar hobbies to make people happier when communicating with friends.

The Personal and Social Dynamics of Meme Engagement and Creation

Memes are controversial, they have an impact on people both individually and

socially. Due to the concern about privacy and lack of creativity, ten out of fourteen

interviewees had never created their memes. Using existing memes is sufficiently expressing

their ideas. Some of them thought that they could only send memes with their looks to their

friends, which indicated that the majority of people value their image and the public's

appraisal. They are worried about being ridiculed or don’t want to be in the spotlight.

Interviewee 4 who creates memes, explained that memes allow her to wrap her negative

emotions with humor, and it also shows that she has kept up with the trends. However, it

reflects the characteristic of people seeking recognition and pursuing memes as jumping on

the bandwagon.

In addition to the personal perspective of the interviewees, question 8, question 9, and

question 10 revealed that the reasons why respondents chose to create or not create their

memes were also related to the potential impact of the memes. Regarding question 8 and

question 9, the proportions of those who agreed and disagreed were equally divided. The

comments of the respondents are polarized. Half of them assumed that using images could

achieve barrier-free chat and change the impression of people in other countries. Citizens

could discover the different customs and cultures of each country for cultural exchanges, and

memes can also be used as their communication aids, as some topics can be derived. Besides,
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people would appreciate that human emotions are universal. Memes act as cultural artifacts

that spread rapidly.

A Catalyst for Miscommunication and Cultural Discord

It is demonstrated that memes have the probability to lead to misunderstandings and

conflicts, and a change of perspective. The infiltration and pervasion of memes bring about

various pernicious influences. The way memes affect people is found in question 9. Firstly,

the characteristics of memes are simplifying and emphasizing the problem, and emotional

resonance. Therefore, memes with subjectivity would exaggerate some elements that are

affecting people's judgment of issues. They are a double-edged sword. And that’s why

memes would cause disputes. Secondly, some of them are aggressive due to their sociability

and cultural differences. For instance, hellish gags also belong to the category of memes.

Creators use racism, war, and the tragedy or death of others as punchlines to make memes,

basing their pleasure on the pain of others. “People will receive and use hellish gags which

are unrelated to them because there is no damage,” asserted interviewee 4. They establish

false values and deepen the divide between people. Memes reduce netizens’ sensitivity and

reverence for people and things. It is a sign of the lack of empathy of people in a civilized

society. Interviewee 5 disclosed, “My parents like to use smiley face memes to express

happiness, but among young people, this emoji is meant to be sarcastic.” It is shown that

cultural and age differences can distort the semantics of memes. Also, some memes depend

on specific cultural contexts, for example, memes about historical events or TV dramas, those

who don't know the meaning behind them are prone to using them incorrectly. These memes

are a loss of context.

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Humor, Connectivity, and Potential Risks in Meme Culture

Question 10 discovers that the majority believes that memes have brought about a

positive change in the dynamics of online conversations. First of all, memes are known for

their humor and entertainment value. They facilitate frequent communication between people

from all over the world. However, interviewee 11 presented a different point of view, he

claimed, “Sometimes memes are annoying because people send them just for low-class

entertainment, they don’t have meanings.” It proves that memes can be terrible. Since they

can make chatting more fun, they can also be used to attack others, prompting cyber violence,

for example, some people misuse memes to attack others. There is also the possibility of

violating the right to privacy by intentionally using a photo of a hated person to create a

meme. In summary, people create memes based on preventing their memes from being

abused. It is a protection of one's right to privacy and portraits. It implies that memes are

dangerous to people and society. Therefore, respondents develop concerns that they will be

targeted and do not want to be a laughingstock.

Implications

"Memes" are brief pieces of graphics that bring humor, culture, and the current trend

together and have gone from being internet basement curiosities to an organic, essential part

of how young people communicate through social media. With the increase in the number of

these digital artifacts, they tend to exert great influence on the style of communication,

emotional expression, and socialization of their users, most especially the young population.

This understanding can provide insight into the dynamic trends of digital communication that

are now developing.

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First of all, memes are considered an essential tool for communication between young

people. They represent a free and interactive instrument of expression for complicated

feelings and ideas. This is different from the mainstream textual use of communication media

because memes make visual jokes and pop cultural references that are a very loud but very

succinct way of capturing the attention of viewers. That is, it can relay frustration,

excitement, or irony without really describing the context in detail. This not only makes

conversations more vivid but also makes the message more efficient in delivery. In these

modern times where brevity is appreciated, memes epitomize making emotional expressions

more vivid and dialogues more concise and to the point.

Furthermore, the rapid spread of memes ensures changing the way knowledge and

emotions cross social media platforms. Often, these memes are usually visual symbols or

short text messages that summarize widespread feelings or current issues understood by

numerous people. This makes communication much faster while it keeps the depth of the

same. In short, in fast-moving digital interactions where attention spans are small, memes can

really bring down the time to explain something, all the while ensuring that the emotional

tone and context are instantly recognizable. This pace and efficiency in conversation will not

only prompt the user experience but will also make for an even more lively conversational

space, in which the discussions are brisk yet meaningful.

Besides this, memes are found to be instruments that help in maintaining and

solidifying social bonds. They are not just tools for generating hilarity; they are tools for

generating social relatedness. The sharing of resonating memes representing personal

experiences or cultural insights builds a sense of belonging and community. Thus, memes

have been a way that most young people use to indulge in social interaction that is informal

and fun, thus strengthening communal ties and supporting the formation of collective
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identities. After posting a meme in the group, members usually start the conversation by

adding comments and reactions. This makes communication more lively and diverse.

Through pairing images with brief captions, memes have emerged as a type of visual

shorthand language. Complex ideas, emotions, and references that once required lengthy

explanations can now be concisely portrayed through a well-crafted meme. This new mode of

digital communication allows conversations to flow more quickly online, where short

attention spans demand efficiency. Rather than long paragraphs of text, the meme format gets

a message across in a single glance. Generational differences are lessened as younger and

older users alike can engage with cultural phenomena through shared meme experiences. As

with any new language, some misunderstandings may occur, but overall memes serve as a

direct, succinct bridge for communication in our fast-paced digital world.

While memes offer flexibility as a communication tool by allowing complex ideas to

be shared with unprecedented efficiency through pairing simple images with witty captions, it

is vitally important to consider others' sensitivities and avoid potential issues that could stem

from this approach. As visual jokes, memes have the potential to touch on topics that some

may find uncomfortable or exclusive, so creators and sharers of memes must be aware that

humor is subjective and that what one person finds amusing may deeply offend others. It is

generally wise to avoid using memes related to politics, religion, traumatic events, or other

sensitive issues unless the context and message are meticulously considered and clarified to

avoid misinterpretation, as certain subjects involving these themes are best left out of the

meme format altogether to prevent any possible issues or backlash. Furthermore, the

anonymity that some online spaces can encourage also makes insensitivity through meme

content more likely at times if posters do not consider diverse audiences and respect differing

viewpoints. While flexibility in memes can be beneficial when used respectfully, this benefit
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is best realized when balanced with compassion, cultural awareness, and care for others'

diverse experiences and perspectives.

Moreover, Memes have proven to be an effective tool for marketing and community

engagement due to their widespread popularity and ability to connect with target audiences.

The visual nature and cultural references used in memes allow branding and messages to be

shared in an entertaining and engaging manner. When done respectfully, memes can help

foster a sense of community and common ground between brands and customers. Companies

have seen success using memes to promote products, events, and causes. For example, the

social media pages of popular brands often post memes relevant to their industry, generating

comments and shares from fans of the brand. This increased engagement through humor and

shared experiences help build loyalty amongst customer communities. Memes also serve as a

platform for companies to address current events in a lighthearted way, allowing marketing

messages to spread quickly. When major news breaks, brands can respond on social media

through timely memes that acknowledge what people are talking about. This shows

awareness of cultural happenings and allows the company to feel part of industry

conversations.

Although memes offer many benefits to online interactions and marketing, there are

also risks to consider in their creation and spread. With anonymity and lack of accountability

on many platforms, memes have in some cases contributed to the spread of misinformation or

even inspired toxic, harassing behaviors. Some find certain meme styles, like shitposting, to

be in poor taste or annoying. There are also privacy concerns, as personal details or images

can be turned into memes and shared without consent. The overall use and misuse of memes

is a balancing act. With care and consideration of others, memes can strengthen online

communities and conversations in a lighthearted way. But left unchecked, their viral potential

poses challenges around civility, privacy, and truth that must continue to be addressed.
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Overall, memes began as novel internet curiosities, they have clearly emerged as an

organic and integral part of digital communication culture. As with any new form of

expression, both benefits and risks must be navigated with care, awareness, and respect.

Ongoing reflection on impact and how to maximize memes' potential for bringing people

together while avoiding harm seems key. If creators prioritize empathy, truth, and consent,

and platforms continue improving policies to support responsible sharing, then this visual

language may yet help strengthen understanding between diverse communities in a fun,

engaging way. Its future depends on open-minded cooperation from all participants.

Conclusion
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References

Bhattacharya, P. (2019). Social Degeneration through Social Media: A Study of the

Adverse Impact of ‘Memes.’ 2019 Sixth HCT Information Technology Trends (ITT).

https://doi.org/10.1109/itt48889.2019.9075096

Du Preez, A., & Lombard, E. (2014). The role of memes in the construction of

Facebook personae. Communicatio, 40(3), 253–270.

https://doi.org/10.1080/02500167.2014.938671

Dawkins, R. (2014b). The Selfish Gene. In Princeton University Press eBooks (pp.

140-142). https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt4cgb2q.31

Dwivedi, S., & Dwivedi, S. K. (2023). Social media memes: A study of its impact on

intercultural communications. International Journal of Developmental Research,

61307–61311. https://doi.org/10.37118/ijdr.26159.01.2023

Grundlingh, L. (2017). Memes as speech acts. Social Semiotics, 28(2), 147–168.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10350330.2017.1303020

Weng, L., Flammini, A., Vespignani, A., & Menczer, F. (2012). Competition among

memes in a world with limited attention. Scientific Reports, 2(1).

https://doi.org/10.1038/srep00335
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Xue, Y., & Hayashi, T. (2021). Exploring the Effects of Internet Memes in Social

Media Marketing through A/B Testing. 2021 IEEE 23rd Conference on Business

Informatics (CBI). https://doi.org/10.1109/cbi52690.2021.10060

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Appendix

Appendix A. Survey Questions

1. Do you know what a meme is?

2. How often do you use memes in communicating with others on social media platforms

and in what situations or circumstances would you choose to use or not to use the

memes?

3. Do you ever create or share your own memes? Why or why not?

4. How do memes influence the way you express yourself online?

5. Do you find memes to be an effective way to connect with others on social media?

Why or why not?

6. Do you believe memes can create or reinforce group identity?

7. How do memes help build or strengthen connections with people who share your

interests?

8. Have you ever encountered a situation where a meme was misinterpreted, leading to a

misunderstanding or conflict?

9. Have memes ever changed your perspective or opinion on social issues presented on

social media?

10. How do you think the use of memes has changed the dynamics of online

conversations?

The link to the consequence of the interviews ：

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/

1ciDUuzv64b1GlKy47Zj6GNSudinTpe4EvDyo947wPqc/edit