The Meme Theory

Since most memes follow the same scenario of development, consisting of few certain steps, the unified theory was created in order to explain their behavior and analyze current trends in the meme evolution. The theory consists of three main theses:
  1. Internet memes, including postmemes, continuously develop, acquire new cultural forms and gradually become more complicated. Theoretical complication of memes, coupled with the development of AI will lead to the Meme Singularity.
  2. An average meme has 3 "lives", and a total of 5 stages of existence. However, this doesn't apply to all the memes.
  3. Meme food chain consists of 3 links (memers, normies and "tankers"). Each link has its own role: producing, consuming, or exploiting memes. There are no shameful links, and almost every role is important. The system works at the expense of the "tops" and "bottoms". Importance of "tankers" is controversial, since the system can function without them.

For convenience, all the information space can be represented in the form of a shore with multiple locations:
  • Normies Sea. Social networks, entertainment portals and other habitats of normies (large Facebook communities, 9gag, Funnyjunk).
  • The Shoreline. Edge, the point of mediation between the beach and the sea. This is the place of the meme databases, YouTube channels and wiki projects.
  • Memers Beach. Local communities in which new memes arise (imageboards, subreddits and various chats).






Meme Life

First Life
  • STAGE 1: BIRTH. Many memes are born spontaneously in local communities and boards. Sometimes the simplest idea evolves into something bigger, so predicting the popularity of a particular meme is extremely difficult.
  • STAGE 2: RISE. Users start to promote a meme among themselves by posting it everywhere and generating creativity on its basis.
  • STAGE 3: ‘DEATH'. The point at which a meme ceases to be worthwhile or seeps into other communities. Technically, this is not even the death of a meme, but a depreciation for the people who invented it.
Second Life
  • STAGE 4: DISPOSAL. An idea stops to be interesting, so users "get rid" of it, throwing it on other websites. A meme acquires a new life, and, perhaps, even meaning and cultural significance.
Third Life
  • STAGE 5: RECYCLING. A meme gradually loses its freshness and fades, but large companies "seize" it and begin to exploit it, squeezing an idea out. The recycled meme is fed to people again, and finally loses all its former values. Specifically, this stage can be considered as the death of a meme in the cultural plan. Since in its very sense, memes are a creativity, that creativity devalues during the commercialization. Usually the main advantage of such content is the form, considering the lack of ideas. However, if commercial memes find new meanings, they will gain more importance getting rid of exploitative character, and their value within the culture will increase.

Terminology


Memer — a person who takes part in the creation of the meme and its initial development. They are well-informed in the culture of memes and live on specialized resources.


Normie — a typical inhabitant of social networks and large websites. These users absorb all the content, without even thinking of its quality or origin. They cannot choose their favorite memes, they just consume all memes getting into the mainstream. For them memes are not a cultural tool or a means of self-expression, but simple everyday entertainment. Not to be confused with the no-knowers, any people who are not aware of meme culture, staying outside the meme system.

Stranded — a normie who somehow got to the ‘Shoreline’. Usually this happens when a person is interested in the origin of memes and goes too far. In the most rare cases, there is a side effect, when a normie fully adapts to the subculture that devised a meme. Generally, normies are either rejected by an alien culture or become outcasts in the new environment.



Tanker — a big company that uses a meme for their own purposes. They collect memes regardless of quality and pour them back into the sea, not caring about anything other than gain.



Meme — an idea that spreads in society. Today memes play a very important role in our life. With their help you can study various social processes, track trends, affect the politics, and do many other things.



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