What is a meme?

In general terms, memes can be anything, whether it be a video, image or GIF, that spreads and is repeated over time, becoming more entrenched within culture, said Mary Ingram-Waters, Ph.D., associate dean and professor at the University of Nevada-Reno Honors College.

What are the characteristics of Internet memes?

Inspired by the concept of memes proposed by Richard Dawkins in 1972, Internet memes can take various forms, such as images, videos, GIFs, and various other viral sensations. Characteristics of memes include their susceptibility to parody, their use of intertextuality, their propagation in a viral pattern, and their evolution over time.

How many times has the word “meme” been used?

The word “meme” has been used in the New York Times Crossword 60 times since the puzzle’s inception in the 1940s, according to XWordInfo. Although it’s difficult to identify the first meme ever, the British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins is credited with introducing the term in his 1976 book, “The Selfish Gene.”

What was the first viral internet meme?

The first viral internet meme can be pinned back to a particular dancing baby that was spread around the internet, before finally appearing on an episode of Ally McBeal. In 1996, graphic designer Michael Girard created software that showed how movement could be programmed and projected via computers.