Rebecca Ortiz, assistant professor of advertising in the Newhouse School, was interviewed by Shondaland.com for the article “The Expansive Power of the Internet Meme.”
Oritz, who studies entertainment media effects, says that memes are created by individuals to express themselves and therefore serve a really vital role in today’s world of social media.
“You can connect with somebody through these shared meanings and cultural references, and you feel like you’re special for understanding it. It builds an in-group connection,” says Ortiz.