What do we mean when we talk about memes?
In this day and age, many of us scroll through dozens of memes every day. If you've ever shared a "distracted boyfriend" picture or a viral TikTok audio, you're taking part in one of humanity's oldest habits: spreading ideas and forming community.
But there's more to memes. What exactly are they, where did they come from, and why can't we stop passing them on?
Here, BBC Bitesize takes a look. Discover why some go viral while others fade away, and explore the history and psychology behind why we share them.
What is a meme?
We usually think of a meme as an internet inside joke, a funny picture, a TikTok sound, or a viral gaming clip.
However, a meme can be any piece of cultural information that spreads from person to person through copying.
A single picture of a cute dog on Instagram is just a picture. It stays exactly as it was posted. A meme, though, is designed with the potential to be reused in different contexts by its audience.
That's what makes memes different. Memes invite people to copy, edit, remix and reinterpret them, turning one initial idea into thousands of variations. If it can't be adapted and passed on by its audience, it's not a meme.
Where did the word meme come from?
Believe it or not, the word "meme" wasn't invented by a social media influencer. It was coined all the way back in 1976 by a British biologist called Richard Dawkins.
When Dawkins was studying how biological evolution works through genes, he noticed that human culture evolves in a similar way. To explain this, he wanted a word that meant a "copied thing." Dawkins took the Ancient Greek word mimeme, which gave us words like “mimic”. He then shortened it to “meme” to give it a catchier name.
Just like genes copy biological information from parent to child, Dawkins thought that memes copy cultural information "from brain to brain". Originally, he used the word to describe things like catchy tunes, fashion trends, catchphrases, and even ways of making pots.
Where do memes come from?
Memes didn't start with computers. In fact, some say that the first memes started thousands of years ago, when people would etch palindromes on walls across the Roman Empire.
Kilroy was here (well before funny cat memes)
During World War Two, a simple doodle of a bald man peeking over a wall with the phrase "Kilroy was here" became a massive viral sensation among American soldiers.
Soldiers spray-painted or chalked this image onto trucks, military bases, and walls all over the world. It became a universal inside joke.
The meme was a way for soldiers to leave their mark, communicate with troops coming up behind them, and feel a sense of shared community during a difficult time.
The "Cool S"
You might not recognise the name, but you'll definitely recognise the picture. For more than 40 years, children in schools across the world have been doodling a geometric "S" in their exercise books.
It's not clear where the "S" came from, but its style suggests it came from graffiti culture in New York back in the 1970s. You might be thinking "this is just a doodle, how can it be a meme?"
What makes it a meme is how easy it is to copy, and how each person can put their own spin on it when they do.
Then came the internet, and memes moved fast
Although memes have been around for centuries, the internet changed everything. The World Wide Web revolutionised the way that humans share information.
We no longer have to etch a doodle on a wall and wait for people to see it. Now, you can see a hilarious crazy cat meme and share it with your friends within just a few seconds.
This is fine
The "this is fine" meme is an example of how memes can be used to identify shared problems and create communities around them. The meme shows a dog pretending everything is okay with a smile on his face, as the house burns down around him.
What started as a sketch in a 2013 webcomic has since been shared millions of times by social media users to express how they feel when dealing with stressful situations, difficult news and global issues such as climate anxiety, allowing people to share experiences that others can relate to.
Why do we share memes?
Psychologists and internet researchers have discovered that our brains are practically wired to share memes. When you press the "share" button, two psychological things are happening at once:
Social connection: Humans have a deep-rooted desire to belong. Sharing a meme signals to your friends, "I get this joke, you get this joke, and we belong to the same group."
Emotional validation: Memes can be quick ways to mirror your internal feelings. Sharing a meme that says "How I feel during a Monday morning maths lesson" allows you to express stress, joy, or boredom without having to write a long paragraph.
The three qualities that make a meme go viral
For a meme to thrive in the fast-paced world of the internet and go truly viral, it generally has to be three things:
Copyable: It must be easy to copy or mimic. Remember where the word "meme" came from? If a TikTok dance or a doodle is too complicated, people won't try to recreate it. The easier to copy, the faster it spreads.
Changeable: It must be easy to put your own spin on it. The best internet memes are blank canvases that allow anyone to overlay their own text to fit their specific hobby, sport, or school drama.
Relatable: It must be easy to identify with. A meme goes viral because the moment someone looks at it, they think, "That is exactly like me," or "I know someone just like that." If it doesn't spark an emotional connection, the shares stop and the meme gets lost.
Next time you see a meme, ask yourself: how easy is it to copy, change, and relate to? The answer might explain why it ended up on your screen in the first place.
This article was written in October 2026
