The Surprising Power of Internet Memes揭秘网络模因的惊人力量

Is there more to internet memes than meets the eye？ The science of these viral mash-ups reveals why they are so effective at spreading ideas and beliefs.

网络模因背后是否暗藏玄机？模因病毒式传播所蕴含的科学揭示了它们为何能如此高效地传播思想理念。

On the surface， internet memes are a ubiquitous1 source of light entertainment2—a way for people to express themselves through cleverly remixed templates of text， images and videos. They are arguably the wallpaper of our social media feeds and often provide us with a few minutes of idle， amusing fodder3 for procrastination during our day.

从表面上看，网络模因是一种无处不在的轻松娱乐方式——大众以文字、图片和视频模板的创意混搭来表达自我。可以说，网络模因是社交媒体信息流的背景装饰，时常提供轻松有趣的素材让我们在一天之中消磨几分钟时间。

But memes also have a serious side， according to researchers looking at modern forms of communication. They are a language in themselves， with a capacity to transcend cultures and construct collective identities between people. These sharable visual jokes can also be powerful tools for self-expression， connection， social influence and even political subversion4.

然而，在研究现代交流形式的人眼中，模因还有严肃的一面。它们本身就是一种语言，具有跨越文化界限、构建集体身份认同的能力。这些易于传播的视觉幽默也是表达自我、建立联系、影响社会乃至颠覆政治的有力手段。

Internet memes “are one of the clearest manifestations of the fact there is such a thing as digital culture”， says Paolo Gerbaudo， a reader5 in digital politics and director of the Centre for Digital Culture at Kings College London.

伦敦国王学院数字政治学准教授兼数字文化研究中心主任保罗·杰尔包多认为，网络模因“堪称展现数字文化真实存在的最鲜活的例证之一”。

Gerbaudo describes memes as a “sort of a ready-made language with many kinds of stereotypes， symbols， situations. A palette that people can use， much like emojis， in a way， to convey a certain content”.

杰尔包多将模因描述为“一种现成的语言，包含丰富多样的刻板印象、象征符号和情景设定。网络模因犹如调色板，让人们在某种程度上能像使用表情符号那样传达特定的内容”。

According to the social media site Instagram， at least one million posts mentioning “meme” were shared every day in 2020. But what is it that makes the internet meme so popular and why is it such an effective way of conveying ideas？

据社交媒体平台“照片墙”统计，2020年人们每天至少分享100万条含“模因”字眼的帖子。那么，网络模因究竟为何备受欢迎，又为何能高效传播思想呢？

Of course， memes have been around long before the rise and reproduction of familiar internet memes like the Distracted Boyfriend or the many wise faces of “Doge”.

实际上，早在诸如“分心男友”或各种满脸智慧的“神烦狗”等大家耳熟能详的网络模因兴起并广泛传播之前，“模因”这一概念就已经存在了。

“We see the replication of mundane reality in many forms of art，” says Idil Galip， a doctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh， and founder of the Meme Studies Research Network. “Even going back to， let’s say， Hellenic times6， you’ve got something like tragic theatre， that takes things that happen to you that are upsetting and real-life and makes them into comedic things， which is what memes do.”

爱丁堡大学博士研究员、“模因研究网络”创始人伊迪尔·加利普指出：“我们发现许多艺术形式都再现了日常生活。即使追溯到古希腊时期，也有悲剧这样的艺术形式，将人们现实生活中的烦恼转化成幽默诙谐的事物，而这一点正与模因不谋而合。”

With the arrival of the internet， however， memes have become a more tangible phenomenon that can be observed as they grow， spread and mutate. “In a way， it’s like internet users paving the way for academics to look at memes more scientifically，” says Limor Shifman， a professor of communication at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

随着互联网的普及，我们可以愈加清楚地看到模因在不断滋生、扩散和演变。对此，耶路撒冷希伯来大学传播学教授利莫尔·希夫曼指出：“从某个角度来看，似乎是互联网用户在为学术界铺垫道路，好让学者们能够更科学地研究模因。”

Shifman’s definition of memes， now widely used in the field， describes them as “a group of texts with shared characteristics， with a shared core of content， form， and stance”. Broadly， “content” refers to ideas and ideologies， while “form” to our sensory experiences such as audio or visual， and “stance” to the tone or style， structures for participation， and communicative functions of the meme.

希夫曼提出的模因定义现已在该领域广泛应用，他将模因解释为“一组拥有共性特征的文本，它们核心的内容、形式和立场一致”。大体而言，“内容”涵盖各类观点和意识形态；“形式”涉及视听等感观体验；而“立场”则指代模因的风格基调、参与模式及传播功能。

Fundamentally， no meme is an island. “A text that just spreads well， and a lot of people see it， is not a meme，” says Shifman. “It’s viral. But if a lot of people create their own versions then it becomes a group of texts and then it’s a meme.”

从根本上讲，任何模因都不是一座孤岛。希夫曼表示：“如果某个文本只是传播广泛、被很多人看到，那么它并不能算作模因，只能说具有病毒式传播力。当许多人自主创作各自的版本，那便会形成一组文本，这时才能称其为模因。”

Memes tap into collective consciousness online and have been referred to as digital folklore—or “Netlore”. “We can see not just the new ways people do things or the new ways people express themselves in public but also some of the themes， some of the anxieties or desires people have. All of these complex issues are reflected in things like memes，” says Gerbaudo.

模因深深扎根于网络集体意识，被誉为数字民俗或“网络民俗”。杰尔包多指出：“我们不仅能看到人们行事的全新方式、公开表达自我的新颖手段，更能洞察到人们探讨的一些核心主题以及心中的一些焦虑与渴望。所有这些复杂的问题都呈现在模因这样的载体之中。”

“Usually the most viral， most loved memes are memes that are about things that are very recent in public memory，” says Galip. But often they are also “something that was important to many people”， she says. “Viral memes usually appeal to the most common denomin-ator7. So you don’t have to necessarily be embedded in internet subculture to understand what it’s saying.”

加利普指出：“最能疯传、最受欢迎的模因通常关乎公众记忆中最近发生的事情。”但她补充说，这些模因往往也是“对许多人而言至关重要的东西”。她强调：“病毒式传播的模因往往能引发最为广泛的共鸣，所以你并不一定非要深谙网络亚文化才能明白它们所要表达的内容。”

Memes also have an uncanny way of capturing a feeling， experience， or state of mind which resonates with people， depending on the “niche-ness” of the meme. One small study found that people with depression rated depression-related memes as more humorous， relatable and shareable. The researchers suggest memes elegantly portray the experience of depression which some may find hard to vocalise. And because they are highly relatable among people with depression， they could offer the perception of social support and emotional connection.