Internet memes are powerful tools for conveying many types of information and messages that are definitely worth studying. Even though many scholars have examined them from different perspectives, the impact of age on their informative power remains unexplored, as well as the absence of a clear, consistent framework for analysing them. In this study, I investigate the extent to which different generations understand and make use of internet memes as information sources. I also present a theoretical framework for analysing these media artefacts.
In this study, a mixed-method approach was employed. Various platforms were utilized to distribute an initial questionnaire that addressed research questions regarding the influence of age parameters on internet meme information behaviour. In addition, Barthes’ Semiotic Theory approach was utilised to develop a theoretical framework for analysing the different levels of meaning contained in internet memes.
According to this study, younger individuals tend to use internet memes as a source of information for understanding various topics more effectively than their older counterparts. Additionally, it was noted that they had a better understanding of them. It is generally found that individuals who consider internet memes as potential information sources are more likely to understand them. Furthermore, it has been found that internet memes tend to operate on templates, which represent their visual structure. A theoretical framework was developed for analysing other internet memes based on the analysis of four templates using the Barthes Semiotic Theory approach. The meme is deconstructed into two meaning levels, namely a denotative and a connotative meaning, i.e., the observed meaning and the intended interpretation.
In spite of the fact that internet memes have been studied since the late 2010, no research has examined the information behaviour of the aging population in relation to them, nor have any theoretical and conceptual frameworks been proposed to analyse them. As a result, this study attempts to fill this gap by examining the differences in the way internet memes are consumed between different generations, as well as proposing a theoretical framework based on which these powerful and diverse information formats can be analysed and understood.