The Folklore of the Internet: Investigating Memes, Chain Emails, Online Legends, and Other Forms of Folklore That Emerge and Spread Online
(Lecture begins with a dramatic flourish and a projection of the "Distracted Boyfriend" meme.)
Good morning, class! Welcome to Folklore 101… but not the dusty, old-fashioned kind with spinning wheels and cackling witches (though we might touch on those later). Today, we’re diving headfirst into the wild, wacky, and perpetually evolving world of Internet Folklore! 🧙♀️💻
(Professor gestures enthusiastically)
I am your guide, Professor Cyberspace (not my real name, obviously – that’s my online persona), and I’m thrilled you’re here to explore this fascinating subject. Forget your preconceived notions about folklore being just quaint stories passed down by grandmothers. We’re talking about the contemporary myths, legends, and traditions that are born, mutate, and spread faster than a cat video goes viral.
(Professor clicks to a slide with a picture of a cat riding a Roomba.)
What IS Internet Folklore, Anyway? 🤔
At its core, internet folklore is simply folklore that exists and propagates online. It encompasses all those shared narratives, beliefs, jokes, and rituals that circulate through the digital ether, connecting us (and sometimes dividing us) in unique and often hilarious ways. It’s the shared cultural understanding we develop online, the inside jokes, and the unwritten rules of engagement.
Think about it: just like traditional folklore, internet folklore is:
- Transmitted orally (digitally): Passed along from person to person, often through sharing, reposting, and forwarding.
- Varied and Mutable: Constantly changing and adapting as it spreads, reflecting the values and concerns of different online communities.
- Anonymous or Semi-Anonymous: Often difficult to trace back to a single originator, contributing to its sense of shared ownership.
- Reflective of Culture: Tells us a lot about our anxieties, aspirations, and sense of humor in the digital age.
(Professor displays a table comparing traditional and internet folklore.)
| Feature | Traditional Folklore | Internet Folklore |
|---|---|---|
| Medium | Oral tradition, written texts, objects | Digital media (text, images, video) |
| Transmission | Face-to-face, print | Online platforms, social media |
| Speed | Relatively slow | Incredibly rapid |
| Mutability | Slower, more localized | Faster, more globalized |
| Authorship | Often anonymous, collective | Often anonymous, but can be individual |
| Examples | Fairy tales, folk songs, legends | Memes, chain emails, creepypastas |
Key Players in the Internet Folklore Game:
Let’s meet some of the stars of our digital stage!
- Memes: These are the building blocks of internet culture, the instantly recognizable images, videos, or phrases that spread like wildfire. They’re the jokes we all get, the shared language of the internet. Think about "Doge," "Rickrolling," or "Woman Yelling at a Cat." 🤣
- Chain Emails & Texts: The digital equivalent of the urban legend whispered in the schoolyard. They promise good luck, threaten dire consequences, and often contain ridiculous claims about money, viruses, or the supernatural. "Forward this to ten friends or you’ll have bad luck for seven years!" 😱
- Creepypastas: Horror stories that are shared and copied across the internet, often featuring disturbing images and unsettling themes. They are the modern-day campfire tales, designed to scare you witless. Slender Man, anyone? 👻
- Online Legends & Urban Myths: These are the stories that circulate online, often presented as true accounts, but are actually fabricated or exaggerated. They can range from harmless hoaxes to dangerous misinformation. Think about the stories about haunted video games or government conspiracies. 🕵️♀️
- Digital Rituals: These are the practices that are performed online, often with a sense of community and shared belief. Examples include online challenges, meme trends, and even certain types of online gaming behavior. Think about the "Ice Bucket Challenge" or the "Harlem Shake." 🥶
(Professor shows a collage of examples of each type of folklore.)
Why Does Internet Folklore Matter? 🤔
Okay, so we know what it is. But why should we bother studying it? Here’s why it’s important to understand the folklore of the internet:
- Reflects Our Culture: It provides valuable insights into our society, our anxieties, and our humor. It’s a mirror reflecting our collective consciousness in the digital age.
- Shapes Our Identity: It helps us connect with others who share our interests and values, fostering a sense of community and belonging. It’s how we find "our people" online.
- Influences Our Behavior: It can shape our attitudes, beliefs, and even our actions. Think about the impact of viral challenges or online activism.
- Reveals Patterns of Communication: It helps us understand how information spreads online, and how to identify misinformation and manipulation.
- It’s Just Plain Interesting! Seriously, the internet is a weird and wonderful place, and its folklore is a testament to human creativity and imagination.
(Professor displays a slide with a Venn diagram showing the overlap between folklore, culture, and technology.)
Let’s Get Specific: Deconstructing the Meme 🔨
Memes are arguably the most ubiquitous form of internet folklore. They are the cultural currency of the internet, the jokes that everyone gets, and the images that define our online experience.
To understand memes, we need to consider a few key elements:
- The Template: The basic structure of the meme, often an image or video clip.
- The Text: The words that are added to the template, which provide the specific meaning and humor.
- The Context: The cultural knowledge and understanding that is required to interpret the meme.
- The Spread: How the meme is shared and adapted by different users and communities.
Let’s take the classic "Distracted Boyfriend" meme as an example:
(Professor returns to the initial meme on the screen.)
- Template: The image of a man walking with his girlfriend, turning his head to look at another woman.
- Text: The labels that are added to each person in the image, which can be anything from political ideas to everyday frustrations.
- Context: The underlying joke is about temptation, infidelity, and the human tendency to be distracted by something new and shiny.
- Spread: The meme’s success is due to its versatility and relatability. It can be used to comment on a wide range of topics, from politics to relationships to personal preferences.
Memes evolve! The meme that starts off as one thing can completely change and be completely unrecognizable to the original.
(Professor shows a timeline of the "Distracted Boyfriend" meme evolving.)
Chain Emails: The Digital Leprechaun with a Threat 🍀
Chain emails have been around since the early days of the internet, and they’re still going strong today. These emails typically promise good luck, threaten bad luck, or offer some kind of reward in exchange for forwarding the message to a certain number of people.
They’re the digital equivalent of the pyramid scheme, preying on our hopes, fears, and gullibility.
Common themes in chain emails include:
- Good Luck Charms: "Forward this to ten friends and you’ll have good luck for a year!"
- Threats of Bad Luck: "If you don’t forward this, you’ll have bad luck for seven years!"
- Miracle Stories: "This woman was cured of cancer by forwarding this email!"
- Urgent Appeals: "This child needs a kidney transplant, please forward this to help them!"
- Virus Warnings: "There’s a new virus going around, forward this to warn your friends!" (Ironically, forwarding the email can spread the virus!)
Why do people fall for these things?
- Superstition: Some people genuinely believe that forwarding the email will bring them good luck or prevent bad luck.
- Guilt: They feel guilty about breaking the chain, fearing that something bad will happen if they don’t forward the message.
- Ignorance: They may not realize that the email is a hoax or a scam.
- Altruism: They may want to help others, even if the email is based on false information.
(Professor shows a satirical image of a chain email claiming to cure baldness.)
Creepypasta: The Internet’s Darkest Corner 😈
Creepypastas are horror stories that are shared and copied across the internet. They are the modern-day campfire tales, designed to scare you witless.
These stories often feature:
- Disturbing Images: Graphic and unsettling visuals that are meant to shock and terrify.
- Supernatural Elements: Ghosts, demons, monsters, and other supernatural creatures.
- Psychological Horror: Stories that play on your fears and anxieties, leaving you feeling uneasy and disturbed.
- Unreliable Narrators: Characters who are unreliable or untrustworthy, making it difficult to know what is real and what is not.
- Open Endings: Stories that end on a cliffhanger or leave you with unanswered questions, adding to the sense of unease.
Some of the most famous creepypastas include:
- Slender Man: A tall, faceless figure who stalks children in the woods.
- Jeff the Killer: A disfigured teenager who murders his family and goes on a killing spree.
- BEN Drowned: A haunted video game cartridge that drives its players insane.
Why are creepypastas so popular?
- They’re Scary: Obviously! They tap into our primal fears and anxieties, giving us a thrill of terror.
- They’re Creative: They showcase the imagination and storytelling skills of their authors.
- They’re Interactive: They encourage readers to share, adapt, and add to the stories, creating a collaborative horror experience.
- They Reflect Our Fears: They often reflect our anxieties about technology, social isolation, and the unknown.
(Professor shows a picture of Slender Man, then quickly clicks to a slide of puppies to alleviate the tension.)
Online Legends and Urban Myths: Truth or Dare… Online? 🤥
Online legends and urban myths are stories that circulate online, often presented as true accounts, but are actually fabricated or exaggerated.
These stories can range from harmless hoaxes to dangerous misinformation.
Common themes in online legends include:
- Haunted Technology: Stories about haunted computers, video games, and other devices.
- Government Conspiracies: Stories about secret government programs, alien encounters, and other conspiracies.
- Dangerous Challenges: Stories about online challenges that can lead to injury or death.
- Misinformation: False or misleading information that is spread online, often with malicious intent.
- Acts of Kindness: Stories about heartwarming acts of kindness that are often exaggerated or fabricated.
Why do people believe online legends?
- Lack of Critical Thinking: They may not be able to distinguish between fact and fiction.
- Confirmation Bias: They may be more likely to believe stories that confirm their existing beliefs.
- Emotional Appeal: They may be swayed by stories that appeal to their emotions, such as fear, anger, or compassion.
- Social Pressure: They may feel pressured to believe the stories by their friends or family.
(Professor shows a picture of a fake news article.)
Digital Rituals: Performing the Sacred Online 🙏
Digital rituals are practices that are performed online, often with a sense of community and shared belief.
These rituals can include:
- Online Challenges: Challenges that are shared on social media, such as the Ice Bucket Challenge or the Harlem Shake.
- Meme Trends: Trends that involve creating and sharing memes based on a particular theme or topic.
- Online Gaming Behavior: Certain types of behavior in online games that are considered to be rituals, such as coordinated attacks or synchronized dances.
- Hashtag Activism: Using hashtags to raise awareness about social issues and mobilize support for causes.
- Online Memorials: Creating online memorials for deceased individuals, often involving sharing photos, videos, and memories.
Why do people participate in digital rituals?
- Sense of Community: They provide a sense of belonging and connection with others.
- Shared Identity: They reinforce a shared identity and values.
- Entertainment: They can be fun and entertaining.
- Social Influence: They can be influenced by social pressure or the desire to be part of a trend.
- Social Change: They can be used to promote social change and raise awareness about important issues.
(Professor shows a video montage of various online challenges.)
The Future of Internet Folklore: What’s Next? 🔮
The internet is constantly evolving, and so is its folklore. As new technologies emerge and new online communities form, we can expect to see new forms of folklore emerge as well.
Some potential trends in the future of internet folklore include:
- AI-Generated Folklore: The development of AI that can create memes, creepypastas, and other forms of folklore.
- Virtual Reality Folklore: The emergence of folklore in virtual reality environments, such as haunted virtual houses or virtual rituals.
- Augmented Reality Folklore: The integration of folklore into the real world through augmented reality technologies, such as haunted landmarks or virtual creatures.
- Personalized Folklore: The creation of folklore that is tailored to individual users based on their interests and preferences.
(Professor shows a futuristic image of robots creating memes.)
Conclusion: Embrace the Weird! 🤪
Internet folklore is a fascinating and ever-evolving field of study. It provides valuable insights into our society, our culture, and our anxieties in the digital age.
So, the next time you see a meme, a chain email, or a creepypasta, take a moment to consider its cultural significance. You might be surprised at what you discover!
(Professor takes a bow as the lecture hall erupts in applause. A final slide appears: "Thank you! Now go forth and explore the internet… carefully!")
(Class dismissed!)
