The Surprising Power of Internet Memes揭秘網絡模因的驚人力量

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.

網絡模因背后是否暗藏玄機？模因病毒式傳播所蘊含的科學揭示了它們為何能如此高效地傳播思想理念。

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.

從表面上看，網絡模因是一種無處不在的輕松娛樂方式——大眾以文字、圖片和視頻模板的創意混搭來表達自我。可以說，網絡模因是社交媒體信息流的背景裝飾，時常提供輕松有趣的素材讓我們在一天之中消磨幾分鐘時間。

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，在研究現代交流形式的人眼中，模因還有嚴肅的一面。它們本身就是一種語言，具有跨越文化界限、構建集體身份認同的能力。這些易于傳播的視覺幽默也是表達自我、建立聯系、影響社會乃至顛覆政治的有力手段。

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.

倫敦國王學院數字政治學準教授兼數字文化研究中心主任保羅·杰爾包多認為，網絡模因“堪稱展現數字文化真實存在的最鮮活的例證之一”。

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”.

杰爾包多將模因描述為“一種現成的語言，包含豐富多樣的刻板印象、象征符號和情景設定。網絡模因猶如調色板，讓人們在某種程度上能像使用表情符號那樣傳達特定的內容”。

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？

據社交媒體平臺“照片墻”統計，2020年人們每天至少分享100萬條含“模因”字眼的帖子。那么，網絡模因究竟為何備受歡迎，又為何能高效傳播思想呢？

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”.

實際上，早在諸如“分心男友”或各種滿臉智慧的“神煩狗”等大家耳熟能詳的網絡模因興起并廣泛傳播之前，“模因”這一概念就已經存在了。

“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.”

愛丁堡大學博士研究員、“模因研究網絡”創始人伊迪爾·加利普指出：“我們發現許多藝術形式都再現了日常生活。即使追溯到古希臘時期，也有悲劇這樣的藝術形式，將人們現實生活中的煩惱轉化成幽默詼諧的事物，而這一點正與模因不謀而合。”

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.

隨著互聯網的普及，我們可以愈加清楚地看到模因在不斷滋生、擴散和演變。對此，耶路撒冷希伯來大學傳播學教授利莫爾·希夫曼指出：“從某個角度來看，似乎是互聯網用戶在為學術界鋪墊道路，好讓學者們能夠更科學地研究模因。”

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義現已在該領域廣泛應用，他將模因解釋為“一組擁有共性特征的文本，它們核心的內容、形式和立場一致”。大體而言，“內容”涵蓋各類觀點和意識形態；“形式”涉及視聽等感觀體驗；而“立場”則指代模因的風格基調、參與模式及傳播功能。

Fundamentally， no meme is an island. “A text that just spreads well， and a lot of people see it， isc7e80d0097b0711ce1bf70550a8b38a6 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.”

從根本上講，任何模因都不是一座孤島。希夫曼表示：“如果某個文本只是傳播廣泛、被很多人看到，那么它并不能算作模因，只能說具有病毒式傳播力。當許多人自主創作各自的版本，那便會形成一組文本，這時才能稱其為模因。”

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.

模因深深扎根于網絡集體意識，被譽為數字民俗或“網絡民俗”。杰爾包多指出：“我們不僅能看到人們行事的全新方式、公開表達自我的新穎手段，更能洞察到人們探討的一些核心主題以及心中的一些焦慮與渴望。所有這些復雜的問題都呈現在模因這樣的載體之中。”

“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：“最能瘋傳、最受歡迎的模因通常關乎公眾記憶中最近發生的事情。”但她補充說，這些模因往往也是“對許多人而言至關重要的東西”。她強調：“病毒式傳播的模因往往能引發最為廣泛的共鳴，所以你并不一定非要深諳網絡亞文化才能明白它們所要表達的內容。”

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.

模因還能夠巧妙地捕捉到觸動人心的情感、經歷，或者心理狀態，就看這個模因面向哪個特定群體。一個小規模的研究發現，抑郁癥患者認為與抑郁癥相關的模因更為幽默，更能引起他們共鳴，他們也更樂意分享。研究者認為，模因將某些人難以訴諸言語的抑郁體驗生動地表達了出來。鑒于這類模因能讓抑郁癥患者高度共鳴，它們能夠讓患者感受到社會支持和情感聯系。

“Niche memes are not meant to go viral，” says Galip. “They’re meant usually to create things like in-group belonging， something that kind of strengthens a sense of identity.” In her work exploring digital subcultures， she has found “memes facilitate community not only on the internet but it also kind of bleeds out into， let’s say， the real world or the offline world”.

加利普指出：“小眾模因并不旨在追求病毒式傳播，它們通常是為了構建群體內部歸屬感，也就是能在某種程度上強化身份認同感的東西。”在探索數字亞文化的過程中，她發現“模因不僅能在網絡上促進社群的形成，這種影響力還多少滲透到了現實世界或者說線下世界”。

For those with mental health issues， conspiracy memes may be more problematic， warns co-researcher and forensic psychiatrist8， Reena Panchal. “If you’re a vulnerable person， and you find someone or a group of people who share your views， you immediately feel a sense of belonging， and that kind of adds strength to your beliefs，” she says.

上述研究的聯合研究者、法醫精神病學家里娜·潘查爾提醒，對存在心理健康問題的人來說，與陰謀論相關的模因可能帶來風險。她表示：“若你是個易受影響的人，一旦遇到與自己持有相同觀點的人或者群體，會立即覺得找到了歸屬，這在某種程度上會進一步強化你自身的理念。”

But while memes spread and shapeshift9 at a lightning rate， can we expect them to hang around as a form of expression in the future？

雖然模因在快速地傳播、演變，未來它們是否仍會作為一種表達方式持續存在呢？

“This form of communication is here to stay because it’s a very stable way of expressing your individuality and your communality，” says Shifman. Gerbaudo notes that memes are already evolving—branching out more into video sharing. “TikTok videos are memetic in character，” he says. “They respond to challenges， which have a certain format， where people need to kind of play with a given， pre-established set of interactions.”

希夫曼表示：“模因這種交流形式會長期存在，因為它是表達個體性和群體性的一種非常穩定的方式。”杰爾包多注意到，模因已經在不斷演變，逐漸深入視頻分享領域。他認為：“TikTok視頻本身就具有模因特質，它們是用戶對各類挑戰的回應——這些挑戰有一定的模式，人們要做的大致就是在視頻中按照預設的既定互動方式完成挑戰。”

But whether memes are a force for “good” or “bad”， is largely down to howiPIXXj6shYeG7ihhRPjmxqB6kxlsaN9C85fyEnd897E= we choose to use them. “They’re neutral modes of communication，” says Galip. “You can make meaning out of memes depending on what you want to express.”

然而，模因究竟能夠帶來“正面”還是“負面”影響，在很大程度上取決于我們如何使用它們。加利普指出：“模因是一種中性的溝通方式，你可以依據自己想要傳達的內容賦予模因相應的含義。”

What’s clear is that the modest meme should not be underestimated. They conceal complexity and culture beneath their simple exterior. Online， memes are important facilitators of communication， belonging， and digital activism10， that can both unite and divide us， depending on who we are and how we participate with them.

毋庸置疑的是，我們不可小覷不起眼的模因。它們簡單的外在形式之下蘊含錯綜復雜的內容和文化。在互聯網上，模因成為進行人際溝通、建立歸屬感和開展數字行動主義活動的關鍵推手。根據我們各自的身份定位以及與模因互動的方式，模因既能讓我們團結一致，也能讓我們分崩離析。

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎者）

1 ubiquitous無處不在的。 2 light entertainment輕娛樂，指輕松愉快、不需要太多思考的娛樂活動。 3 fodder飼料；素材。

4 subversion顛覆。 5 reader準教授（英國大學教師，僅次于教授）。

6 Hellenic times古希臘時期。

7 common denominator共同之處。

8 forensic psychiatrist法醫精神病學家。法醫精神病學是精神病學應用于法醫學領域的一項專科，主要研究犯罪者的心理狀態、思維模式、人格特征以及與犯罪行為之間的關系。 9 shapeshift變形；演變。

10此處指使用數字技術和社交媒體等工具進行政治或社會變革的行動和活動。