The word “viral” is most commonly used to describe something that is extremely popular. But virality can be acquired by either a celebrity broadcast (which is seen as “fake” virality) or by being diffused person-to-person. This person-to-person process is called structural virality and is seen as more valuable, or more admirable (Castelvecchi). So the question is, what does it take to achieve this? How can I make a meme that will go viral?

    Meme virality can actually be comparable to human evolution, in terms of survival of the fittest, where only the strongest and most successful memes will survive (Crosby). One key factor in meme virality is relatability. A joke or idea that can be understood and accepted across a wide range of people will have a greater chance of being shared/spread. An example of this would be the “yanny vs. Laurel” debate that arose when a short audio clip was released on Reddit, in which some listeners heard the word “yanny” while others heard “laurel.” The fact that everyone who could hear this recording could participate and respond, the meme went extremely viral. 

    Although there is the role of relativity to current day events and the relatability of the meme, the chances of one meme experiencing a viral outburst versus another are completely random. There is no set algorithm or set of directions to follow when creating one. So why create memes if there is no guarantee of success? Psychologically, humans desire success and to be acknowledged for their cleverness. A viral meme gone viral is validation for these traits. And one may even make an immortal meme, leaving their mark on the world - or internet world. This success, however, is a personal success, as memes are anonymous. There is no direct link or credit to the creator. This then crosses into the realm of the content put into memes. Offensive memes, which seem to succeed the most compared to others, can be created consequence-free. Along with psychology, memes are of interest within the subjects of communication, entertainment, and media influence.