Anybody who owns a social media account will recognise the famous term 'meme' and will come across one at least 5 times a day. For those who do not know what a meme is, it is defined by Oxford dictionary as 'an image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by Internet users, often with slight variations.' In simpler terms, a meme is a funny piece of media which is shared across different social media platforms, such as Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter.

'Memes are so dumb they make you laugh' - Lindsey Lee, 14

The first meme was created by Richard Dawkins in the 1970s, who created the concept when publishing The Selfish Gene in 1976, a guide which explored the selfish genes of human individuals programmed to survive no matter what. Dawkins stated that ‘like a gene, a meme wants to spread and evolve, but it does so at a much faster rate than genes’, which is how the term came around.

Not only have memes become a valuable source of entertainment, but they are also known to make people famous overnight. For instance, a 5 year old boy named Gavin became an internet sensation after videos of his hilarious reactions emerged from Vine in spring 2014. Since then, his face has been used to express various situations and emotions, earning him recognition from celebrities like Simone Biles, Katy Perry and Shawn Mendes.

     Another example is Daniel Lara, also known as Damn Daniel. He is a teenager who became famous merely because of several Snapchat videos noting his consistency in shoes, referred to by the catchphrase “ Damn Daniel, back at it again with the white Vans! ” Not only did this earn him popularity and fame, but he was also invited onto the Ellen Show where he received a lifetime supply of free Vans.

It is clear that memes are a part of who we are as millennials, tackling political issues in a light-hearted manner and connecting people with their relatable messages and shared tales of unfortunate events. From Trump's victory to the death of Harambe, memes are a source of entertainment created by people as a way to share their opinions and sought out like minded people who feel the same way. Can you imagine a world without this glorious creation?

Despite this, what can be said for the far future; will memes still have their same high status on social media, or will Earth evolve into a memeless world?

Stephanie Olujinmi- Raji, Newstead Wood Grammar School for Girls