The quote under analysis has been taken from Alice Marwick’s (2013) article “Memes,” which examines the use of a meme as a part of the Internet folk culture to reflect the nuances of relationships between the conversation participants. The meaning of the quote by Marwick can be summarized as the intrinsic podetial of memes.
While Marwick acknowledges the limitations of memes as the r4elated meme culture, she makes a valid point by arguing that6 memes are incredibly pliable as cultural signifiers and, therefore, can be used beyond their traditional framework, becoming the tools for unrestrained self-expression.
In the context of the author’s main argument, namely, memes can be seen not only as a culture of consumption but as one of production, especially given the opportunity to shape them and produce new ones.
Expanding on the concept of memes as an Internet phenomenon, Marwick introduces a more flexible and nuanced perspective on the subject matter. While accepting the fact that most Internet users view memes as a shorthand for rendering a quick emotion that has been set in stone in terms of its denotation and connotation,
Marwick explains that memes, in fact, can morph and change. In other words, Marwick’s contribution concerns viewing memes as creative material, which is a rather unexpected and bold stance to take.
It seems that Marwick’s argument is completely legitimate given the recent history of memes’ development, having progressed from a rather niche culture with few elements being used to exchange opinions to a flourishing area of mutual dialogue and creative communication.
Therefore, perceiving individual opinions and experiences being placed at the forefront of the discussion while using the specified cultural signifiers to express one’s personality changes and events should be seen as items that hold a massive creativity potential.
In other words, one must acknowledge the fact that memes have been evolving recently, showing signs of gradual yet undeniable transformation. As a result, they have become pliable, turning into material for creativity in communication and self-expression.