Memes are a growing part of our life and online culture. We know memes as pictures that go viral on social media. People use them to make jokes or comments. However, author Richard Dawkins is unhappy with the Internet calling a meme a "picture with words". Mr Dawkins coined the term 'meme' in his book 'The Selfish Gene'. He said memes are ideas that spread from brain to brain, like genes. He never uses the word 'meme' for a picture with writing on it.
Memes are everywhere today. American universities now offer Meme Studies courses. Memes make politics easier for young people. A Twitter user said, "memes helped people understand [politics and] more complex ideas". Many people used memes to express their views during the 2016 U.S. election. The vice.com website said: "Memes now have as much power, influence and reach as the propaganda posters of yesteryear."