Digital Media 101: Social Media and Platform Studies - Viral Content and Memes Spreadability vs. Stickiness Dawkins to Internet Memes

What It Is

Viral content and memes refer to digital content that spreads rapidly across online platforms, often through social media, online communities, and messaging apps. A canonical example is the "Dancing Baby" (also known as "Baby Cha Cha Slide") animation, which was created in 1996 by a student and became a viral sensation, spreading across the internet and eventually leading to a lawsuit over copyright infringement. This matters for understanding digital culture, platform design, and the digital economy, as it highlights the power of user-generated content and the challenges of regulating online content.

Key Terms & Concepts

• Viral Content: Digital content that spreads rapidly across online platforms, often through social media, online communities, and messaging apps.
  • Example: The "Dancing Baby" animation, which was created in 1996 and became a viral sensation.
• Meme: A unit of cultural transmission, often in the form of an image, video, or piece of text, that is copied and spread rapidly online.
  • Example: The "Grumpy Cat" meme, which features a picture of a cat with a grumpy expression and has been used to express displeasure or annoyance.
• Spreadability: The ease with which digital content can be shared and spread across online platforms.
  • Example: The use of social media buttons and sharing features on websites to make content more spreadable.
• Stickiness: The ability of digital content to engage and retain users' attention.
  • Example: The use of interactive elements, such as quizzes or games, to make content more sticky.
• Richard Dawkins: A biologist who coined the term "meme" in his 1976 book "The Selfish Gene" to describe how ideas and cultural phenomena are transmitted and evolve.
• Internet Memes: Memes that are created and spread online, often through social media and online communities.
  • Example: The "Keep Calm and Carry On" meme, which features a picture of a poster with the phrase "Keep Calm and Carry On" and has been used to express resilience and determination.
• Social Proof: The phenomenon where people are more likely to adopt a behavior or attitude if they see others doing it.
  • Example: The use of social media influencers to promote products or services and create social proof.
• Influence Maximization: The process of identifying and targeting the most influential users in a social network to maximize the spread of content.
  • Example: The use of algorithms to identify and target influencers on social media platforms.
• Filter Bubble: The phenomenon where people are only exposed to information that confirms their existing views and biases.
  • Example: The use of social media algorithms to create a filter bubble, where users are only shown content that is likely to engage them.
• Echo Chamber: A situation where people are only exposed to information that confirms their existing views and biases, and are not exposed to opposing views.
  • Example: The use of social media to create an echo chamber, where users are only shown content that is likely to engage them.

Common Misunderstandings

• Misunderstanding: Viral content and memes are the same thing.
• Correction: Viral content refers to digital content that spreads rapidly across online platforms, while memes refer to units of cultural transmission that are copied and spread rapidly online.
• Misunderstanding: The "Dancing Baby" animation was a meme.
• Correction: The "Dancing Baby" animation was a viral sensation, but it was not a meme in the classical sense. It was a piece of digital content that spread rapidly across the internet, but it did not have the same level of cultural significance or transmission as a meme.
• Misunderstanding: Social proof is the same as influence maximization.
• Correction: Social proof refers to the phenomenon where people are more likely to adopt a behavior or attitude if they see others doing it, while influence maximization refers to the process of identifying and targeting the most influential users in a social network to maximize the spread of content.

Quick Application / Identification

Scenario: A social media manager wants to create a viral campaign for a new product. They decide to use a popular meme as the basis for the campaign. What concept are they applying?

Answer: Spreadability. The social media manager is trying to make the content more spreadable by using a popular meme that is likely to be shared and copied by users.

Explanation: By using a popular meme, the social media manager is trying to tap into the existing cultural significance and transmission of the meme, making it more likely to be shared and spread across online platforms.

Last?Minute Revision

• Richard Dawkins coined the term "meme" in 1976.
• The "Dancing Baby" animation was created in 1996.
• Social proof refers to the phenomenon where people are more likely to adopt a behavior or attitude if they see others doing it.
• Influence maximization refers to the process of identifying and targeting the most influential users in a social network to maximize the spread of content.
• Filter bubble refers to the phenomenon where people are only exposed to information that confirms their existing views and biases.
• Echo chamber refers to a situation where people are only exposed to information that confirms their existing views and biases, and are not exposed to opposing views.
• Viral content refers to digital content that spreads rapidly across online platforms.
• Memes refer to units of cultural transmission that are copied and spread rapidly online.
• Spreadability refers to the ease with which digital content can be shared and spread across online platforms.
• Stickiness refers to the ability of digital content to engage and retain users' attention.
• Internet memes refer to memes that are created and spread online.
• Social media algorithms often create a filter bubble, where users are only shown content that is likely to engage them.