An Internet meme is a cultural item—such as an idea, behavior, or style—that spreads virally across the Internet, primarily via social media platforms in various formats like images, videos, and GIFs. While Richard Dawkins first introduced the concept of a "meme" in 1976 to describe cultural transmission, Mike Godwin coined "Internet meme" in 1993 to describe its online proliferation. The emergence of platforms like YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok dramatically accelerated their spread and diversified genres, with newer forms sometimes referred to as "brain rot." Key characteristics include creative reproduction (mimicry or remixing) and intertextuality, which blends diverse cultural references to create new meanings. Memes are now a significant aspect of Internet culture, serving purposes from entertainment and self-expression to political discourse, though their use of pre-existing material can lead to copyright disputes.