Do Memes Count as Comics? Let’s Investigate Like Scientists!
Hey there, future scientists! Did you know that even the funny pictures and videos you see online, called memes, can be a super interesting thing to study? A while ago, scientists at Ohio State University wrote about whether memes are like comics. Let’s dive in and find out!
Imagine you’re a detective, and your mission is to figure out if memes and comics are cousins. Scientists do something similar! They look closely at things, ask questions, and try to find patterns.
What are Comics?
You probably know what comics are! Think of your favorite comic books or newspaper comics. They usually have:
- Pictures: Lots of drawings that tell a story.
- Words: Sometimes speech bubbles with what characters are saying, or captions that explain what’s happening.
- A Story: They often have a beginning, middle, and end, even if it’s just a short joke.
- A Message: They can be funny, serious, or teach us something.
What are Memes?
Now, let’s think about memes. You see them everywhere on phones and computers! Memes are like little packages of internet culture. They often have:
- Pictures or Videos: Sometimes these are famous movie scenes, funny animal pictures, or even simple drawings.
- Text: Words are added to the pictures or videos, usually in a specific style (like the white letters with a black outline you often see).
- A Joke or Idea: They’re usually meant to be funny or to share a common feeling or thought.
- They Change and Spread: This is a big one! People take a meme and change the words to fit new situations. It’s like a game of telephone, but with pictures!
Are They Really the Same?
The scientists at Ohio State University wondered about this too! They thought about how comics tell stories with pictures and words, and how memes do something similar.
Think about it:
- Visual Storytelling: Both comics and memes use images to grab your attention and help you understand an idea quickly.
- Text Adds Meaning: The words in both comics and memes are super important for the joke or the message.
- Relatability: Both comics and memes often show things that people can understand and connect with, like everyday feelings or funny situations.
However, there’s a key difference! Memes are designed to be changed and shared over and over again. It’s like a template. A comic book story is usually finished. With memes, everyone can be a creator!
The scientists found that while memes aren’t exactly the same as traditional comics, they share many of the same building blocks. They use pictures and words to communicate and often make us laugh or think.
Why is This Science?
You might be thinking, “How is looking at funny pictures science?” Well, scientists love to understand how things work, even things we use every day! By studying memes and comparing them to comics, scientists can learn about:
- How we communicate: How do we share ideas and feelings with each other?
- How culture changes: How do popular ideas and jokes spread and change over time?
- The power of images: How do pictures and words work together to make us feel certain ways?
Be a Meme Scientist!
So, the next time you see a meme, try to be a scientist! Ask yourself:
- What picture is being used?
- What do the words say?
- What is the joke or idea the meme is trying to share?
- Have I seen this meme before with different words? How did it change?
By asking these questions, you’re already thinking like a scientist! You’re observing, analyzing, and trying to understand the world around you. Maybe you’ll even come up with your own theories about memes, or discover new ways we use pictures and words to connect.
Science isn’t just about beakers and microscopes. It’s about curiosity, asking questions, and exploring the world, whether it’s the stars in the sky or the funny pictures on your screen! So keep questioning, keep exploring, and who knows what amazing discoveries you might make!
Most of us love memes. But are they a form of comics?
The AI has delivered the news.
The following question was used to generate the response from Google Gemini:
At 2025-07-15 12:06, Ohio State University published ‘Most of us love memes. But are they a form of comics?’. Please write a detailed article with related information, in simple language that children and students can understand, to encourage more children to be interested in science. Please provide only the article in English.