Abstract
Memes are social or cultural constructs and ideas dispersed from person to person. The modern definition of memes applies to images, photographs, or videos shared on digital platforms juxtaposed with text that utilizes the emotion, meaning, or joke behind the original “meme” to communicate the author’s message. Younger generations of learners are more prone to utilize digital and social media to distribute and consume information and use of these platforms has increased in modern classrooms. However, there are few examples of using memes for educational purposes, including student-generated content, and no known examples in pharmacy education. This commentary introduces the concept of a meme and describes an attempt to incorporate a student-generated meme assignment in a pharmacy course. Experiences and lessons learned are discussed as words of caution in incorporating and evaluating memes or other informal communication tools for educational purposes.
Highlights
The modern definition of memes applies to images, photographs, or videos shared on digital platforms juxtaposed with text that utilizes the emotion, meaning, or joke behind the original “meme”
While many stereotypes are imposed on each generation, consistent and widely accepted characterizations of these cohorts include that they are “digital natives” having been born during or after the advent of the internet and other digital innovations [1,2]. These groups are attributed with higher usage of digital devices, digital media, and social media in their everyday lives including work, play, and school [1,2]
A “meme” has a formal definition not related to our typical connotation of humorous pictures with words
Summary
The demographic cohorts of Millennials (born 1981–1996) [1] and Generation Z (born 1997–2012) [2]. While many stereotypes are imposed on each generation, consistent and widely accepted characterizations of these cohorts include that they are “digital natives” having been born during or after the advent of the internet and other digital innovations [1,2]. As such, these groups are attributed with higher usage of digital devices, digital media, and social media in their everyday lives including work, play, and school [1,2]. Within digital and social media are several other styles of non-traditional communication such as the use of “memes”
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