Vikidia currently has 4,580 articles. Improve it!

Join Vikidia: create your account now and improve it!

Meme

From Vikidia, the encyclopedia for 8 to 13-year-old children that everybody can make better
Jump to navigation Jump to search

A meme (pronounced "meem") is an element of culture or behaviour that gets transmitted between individuals.

A meme is somewhat similar to a gene. Genes replicate from one to another organism via biological reproduction mechanisms. Memes replicate from one to another individual via cultural reproduction mechanisms (imitation, learning...). Just like genes, memes may progressively evolve as they get transmitted over and over between individuals. Some meme evolutions may prove successful and last for long times while others may be quickly abandoned.

Examples of memes include recipes, proverbs, technological objects and techniques, nursery rhymes, jokes, fashions...

An Internet meme is a phenomenon (image, sentence, character, activity...) that became famous thanks to its wide spreading over the Internet (by means of email, social media...).


Etno icon.png Society Portal — All articles about society, culture, and languages !