the meme network.

When I found Sydney Uni Memes earlier this year I thought it was the funniest thing ever. I practically liked every post and shared them all on my wall. University meme pages represent a shift from specialised meme and image sharing communities like Know Your Meme, 4Chan and Reddit and towards more broader, widespread platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Know Your Meme notes the earliest Facebook memes pages was created for Florida International University of Miami in October 2011, uploading a 'Y U No' image macro related to their football team. More university meme pages started appearing en-masse around February of this year and have almost become a necessary component of every tertiary educational institution. This has since encouraged high school meme pages (just the other day I saw old high school acquaintances like HGHS memes) and now even narrowing it down to suburb or area (that's Hills Shire memes for me). 

So why are university related memes so popular? It references certain experiences and in-jokes that only students of a particular institution will understand - from wi-fi connectivity frustrations to avoiding USU election candidates on Eastern Avenue. It gives viewers a sense of belonging (yes that dreaded word) and inclusivity into a certain group of like minded individuals. It's just like the cultural currency  you hold when someone makes a pop culture reference/ joke and you understand its source (therefore giving you authority to partake in the humour).

While we had previously discussed the idea that the internet meme is to some extent a new form of communication (in terms of expressing particular feelings and frustrations with day to day life), it was brought to our attention during our proposal that memes are also a form of networking and bringing people together. Although Sydney university has over 50,000+ undergraduate students and in our four years or so of tertiary education we would have only encountered a small portion of USYD population, we can all come together share a laugh or two and vent our annoyances through the convenience and familiarity of a social media platform.

When any cultural trend or phenomenon has the power to change the way and channels in which we connect and communicate with one another, it's certainly more than just a passing fad. I think our web feature will certainly be testament to just how influential memes have been in shaping society (and also how sociocultural ideals are embedded in the meme format).