Memy internetowe: informacja i transformacja w sieci

Abstract

The paper considers selected aspects of the phenomenon of Internet memes. Beginning with a succinct origins of the term “meme” and its current functions in the Internet environment, the paper introduces various definitions of the term, constructed by academic scholars and Internet users alike. The primary focus is on the way in which memes operate within our culture, as well as on the life-cycle of memes and the manner in which memes migrate from one kind of media into other. The paper also discusses the phenomenon of memes crossing the boundaries between the virtual reality of the Internet and the physical reality of Internet users. All those matters are illustrated by concrete examples.