Memes have become a popular form of communication for society when everything turned digital. To put it simply – a meme is usually in the form of an image or video that makes fun of an idea. For example, here is a meme that I shared on Facebook:

I shared this meme with my Facebook friends because I was able to relate to the situation. To add some context – once I turned 21, my way of spending late nights have turned into earlier bedtimes; therefore, when I have friends who try to make plans past my bedtime, I picture myself doing what an old person might do and curl up on a couch watching Netflix. In the video, you can see two young men in deep conversation while the old man in between them looks lost. By adding, “when it’s 4 am and your friends are making more plans,” I can relate to the old man. The meme is making fun of me, the old man and the whole idea of not being able to stay up late.

In fact, Lifewire also states that memes in today’s modern digital age poke fun at a cultural symbol or social idea. Here is another example:

If you have not lived under a rock, you would know that stores like Target, TJMaxx and more are places where we go in with the intention of buying one item and end up leaving a few hours later with a full shopping cart. If you are a movie fanatic like myself, you would understand the “That wasn’t me. That was Patricia” and the photo refers to the film Split, where the male has different personalities. These two ideas put together makes sense because they are both referring to similar situations.

My friends and I use memes to communicate on a regular basis. Sometimes, our text messages would consist of only photos or videos with no explanation. As I reflect back on how memes have evolved over time, I notice that memes are a huge way to resonate with an audience. Brands and companies use memes to communicate with their audience, which is a smart strategy since today’s digital audience would rather engage with funny content than the usual corporate bland posts.