Meme Culture & Mixed Media: The Art of Virality and Human Connections

Abstract

We are living in a world in transition. The experiences that shape our collective memory are highly influenced by media projection. But that influence is not shaped by conventional media alone anymore. It is a mix of many media forms including rather unconventional platforms which I'd rather term as short-attention-span (SAS) platforms like Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts. These platforms remind us that experience is a factor of memories created, not just attention grab. Popular imagination and the building of pop culture is not shaped by news media or general entertainment channels insofar. In fact, the SAS platforms enable and enhance the reach of content driven from the conventional media. Which brings us to memes. Memes easily transcend languages and timelines. They are driven by any and many sources. It can be a scene from a movie which would be intuitively funny, deeply tragic, explicitly poignant or plain ironic. That scene screenshot becomes a template for a meme and thereby reaches people across the spectrum. All things said, memes do have boundaries too sometimes. Many can have a regional appeal while others may enjoy a pan-India appeal. You can never predict where they will arise from and when they might go viral (one of the most efficient words in recent times). Lastly, memes are a unique form of communication. It has become an effective form of expression on private chat windows (WhatsApp, Instagram DM, FB messenger) or public social media handles (Twitter/X, Instagram, Snapchat). This research paper aims to explore this evolving form of communication and make an attempt at understanding what makes all of us humane – with or without the internet.