INTERNET MEMES AS AN INTELLECTUAL PRODUCT OF COLLECTIVE CREATIVITY OF INTERNET USERS

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to describe the phenomenon of memes and their significance in the context of the Internet space and to show how Internet memes affect the nature of communication on the web. We pay special attention to the meme as an intellectual product created through the collective creativity of Internet users. Communication on the Internet is permanently changing, and new forms of it are interesting to explore. In this article, the historical and cultural consequences of the memes’ wide popularity are considered.
Memes are a social and cultural phenomenon that results from the development of cyberspace. It is a powerful means of communication, so it is important to analyse the role of this communication unit in society. Memes are a mass phenomenon that can constantly attract new users. Memes can provide a deliberate influence on the individual consciousness of a person. Usually, a meme is perceived differently by people and societies, creating new realities, even distorting them. Therefore, it is important to investigate the specific features of memes on the Internet. The culture of their creation reflects the level of development of society. The article deals with the history of the concept of “memes”, genre diversity, and the classification of formats (examples of the most popular meme, actively distributed by social networks) are defined.
An internet meme is a viral information product that will be in demand for a long time, because of its easy perception and playback which is extremely important for the modern user. At the same time, memes can quickly lose their popularity, the reasons for which are discussed in the article. Also, it is important that participants who share the memes must understand the context and the content of the message.