Article published in:
Internet Pragmatics
Vol. 1:1 (2018) ► pp. 113–133

Identity-related issues in meme communication

| University of Alicante
Internet memes are an example of the trend of replicability and spread of discourses through the Net within today’s participatory culture. On paper, memes are instances of humorous discourse that abound on the internet, are replicated or altered, and then transmitted to other users. However, in this paper the focus is not on its humorous side, but on how every single stage of meme communication entails a greater or lesser impact on the user’s self-concept, self-awareness and overall identity. The paper addresses five stages of meme communication and possible ways in which these stages influence the user’s identity.
Keywords: memes, meme communication, online identity, cyberpragmatics, image macros
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Memes and internet memes
  • 3.Broadening the role of humor and of identity-shaping strategies and effects
  • 4.User’s identity throughout meme interpretation and transference
    • 4.1Decoding
    • 4.2Inferring
    • 4.3Sharing
    • 4.4Strengthening
    • 4.5Spreading
  • 5.Concluding remarks
  • Acknowledgements
  • References


This article is currently available as a sample article.

Published online: 28 May 2018
https://doi.org/10.1075/ip.00006.yus
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