Revised Draft of Paper #4: Rhetorical Inquiry of Self-Identity of Twitter Memes

Abstract

Twitter is an open-abroad app available to anyone who chooses to make a profile. It’s grown immensely throughout the years and almost all of the international population has been involved in “tweeting” and “hash tagging”. With its growth, also has come the breakthrough of the so called ‘memes’. I conducted a survey related specifically just about ‘memes’ and how they affect the self-identity of a person. Most importantly I mentioned the different types of social media platforms in order to give a more related perspective to my intended audience in choosing they’re preferred way of expressing themselves with ‘memes’.

Introduction

Have you ever used memes? If you have, do you ever feel as if sharing a ‘meme’ shows the type of person you are? Twitter is a daily used app that’s gotten international recognition, especially due to its popularity in transcending Internet memes. A single picture, video or “gif” can lead to the beginning of an unforgettable, almost always humoristic ‘meme’. Notably, on social media platforms no one is able to show who they truly are. ‘Memes’ however, allow anyone to show a true identity as to how they perceive themselves to be. The question that drives me to gathering more insight regarding on this is, how do ‘memes’ allow users to construct self-identity on Twitter? Not only does a ‘meme’ spark a trend, but it tends to spark debate and adds charisma to those posting about it.

Background

Debates seem to be sparked at a consistent rate in the present time, mainly because of the types of social Medias we’ve grown accustomed to use. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr are a few of the main platforms for which ‘memes’ are able to make their presence known. A ‘meme’ isn’t characterized as a ‘meme’ until it’s introduced and revolutionized by or from any sort of Internet platform. Whether it was you or the person next to you, a ‘meme’ can relatively be easy to get a hold of because of the way the world is today with all the newest ways of technology taking over our daily lives. Since the beginning of the year 2017, ‘memes’ have only gotten much more attention than ever before. To point out, being a user of all these Internet platforms allows me to stay up to date with any sort of breaking or new information related to ‘new memes’.

A Facebook user recently put up a calendar which showed all the months of this coming year. The past three months of the current year were seen with a collage of images in them. These images aren’t just pictures, but Internet ‘memes’ which took over the entire month and brought upon an identity to anyone who used them throughout the entire month. This sort of movement within itself is in reality a self-identity being presented. Given that someone who themselves is a user of ‘memes’ created the image to signify the evolution of the Internet ‘meme’.

Literature Review

Visual Argumentation

‘Memes’ are in essence images that are taken and formalized into often a humoristic visual rhetoric. The expansion of a certain ‘meme’ can contain a source of so much identity within itself, that when someone uses it to their opinion or advantage, they initiate somewhat an argument because of it. An author who was involved in an infamous riot kiss picture of a couple after a Stanley Cup Finals hockey game mentions that the picture, “sparked” an immense amount if debate because experts and several visual analyzers spoke in saying that the picture was, “fake” and “photo shopped”(Hahner). Furthermore, Hahner goes into specific context on this image and the impact it had on the society around it. The author states, “Accounts of controversy provide a productive avenue to pursue the multiplicity of arguments created by the riot kiss photograph” (pg.3). In addition, the image is controversial, but what stands out the most about the ‘meme’ is that it wasn’t twitched or changed to show an appealing effect. The image itself was self-characterized in this case as a sweet moment of a couple sharing their emotions in a celebratory environment ironically surrounded by a riot.

Research Methods

In order to discover more information regarding the usage of ‘memes’ on Twitter, I conducted a survey mainly constructed by 5 simple questions. Each question was in regard to the actual usage of ‘meme’, whether they used it on a different platform, a certain conversation, and how they felt when in fact using a ‘meme’. In order to gather good substantial evidence, my survey was strictly just open to around 15-20 people. Participants were male and female, ages ranging from 18-27. These participants are also in regard University students whom in general use any sort of social media platform.

The questions were different but still considered the same aspect in pertaining to the use of ‘memes’. Question number one specifies which social media platform, including Twitter, do you use a ‘meme’ the most in. The second question discusses if specifically which social media platform do you think is incorporated more in the usage of ‘memes’. Next, question number three explains how often we use a ‘meme’ in an online conversation. The following question in the survey mentions if when using a ‘meme’ our self-identity is being perceived as humorist. The final question of the survey ends by asking if using a ‘meme’ in later years will continue to be a trend in their social media uses.

Research Findings

According to my survey results, each questions varied on their respective answers. The first question showed that Twitter, out of any other social media, is used the most when engaging with ‘memes’ at 35.7% from the 100% possibility. The following question shows an equal amount (33.3%) of students who either sometimes or rarely use ‘memes’ in an online conversation. In the third question more than half (53.3%) of college students perceive themselves as being “humorist” when engaging in an actual online conversation. When gathering evidence for the fourth question, the diagram shows that Twitter (33.3%) according to the survey, shows that University students tend to think of ‘memes’ being used in a general sense in the Twitter platform than any other social online platform. In regards to the final question, 60% of college students will continue to use ‘memes’ in years ahead, with also amounts of 26.7% saying maybe and 13.3% saying no.

Conclusion

After gathering all my information and looking back at what the actual representation of ‘memes’ have on society has changed my view as to how a ‘meme’ is classified. My question wondered whether self-identity is changed or gained because of a ‘meme’. Through my gatherings, studies, and survey it’s come to my attention that mostly anyone who uses social media, tends to stick with Twitter. Although there was other platforms mentioned, when involving Internet ‘memes’, Twitter seemed to stand out the most when bringing up the way ‘memes’ are used. As I look upon the entire concept, I’ve learned that a ‘meme’ isn’t really a ‘meme’ until society makes it into one. How we characterize it, is what’ll then allow us to use it in context when having a simple conversation or even an extensive formal argument. This trend will only devour itself through Twitter at an alarming rate for the rest of the years coming by. Somewhere out there, there’s a ‘meme’ being made without anyone realizing it. Are ‘memes’ ever going to stop being popular? With the society we coincide with and the generation we live in, images, social Medias and extensive ways of communicating won’t stop. They’ll only get more complex and elevate immense discourse communities who choose to accept the ‘meme’. 

Works Cited 

Hahner, Leslie A. "The riot kiss: framing memes as visual argument." Argumentation and Advocacy, vol. 49, no. 3, 2013, p. 151+ . General OneFile