Evaluative Perception of Memes Among Youth Internet Audiences: A Pilot Psycholinguistic Experiment

Abstract

This study explores the evaluative perception of memes and demotivators among youth internet audiences within the framework of a pilot psycholinguistic experiment. The research identifies the specifics of evaluative opinions, verbal reactions, and the components of multimodal texts that effectively capture attention. Data collection was conducted using the online service Yandex Forms, with a sample of 100 participants aged 18 to 22 years. The stimulus materials comprised a heterogeneous set of multimodal texts, including 26 memes and demotivators featuring static images. The results and statistical analyses reveal the ambiguity in evaluative perceptions and the breadth of preferences among participants. Analysis of evaluative opinions indicates a strong preference among youth audiences for humorous, contemporary, and original multimodal texts that accurately reflect life realities, including those related to their social status. Conversely, outdated and irrelevant memes, both in form and content, elicited negative reactions, being perceived as unfunny and foolish, and contrary to their viewpoints. The study also highlights distinctive features in the evaluative perception and interpretation of meme content elements by participants, including variability in interest distribution, polarization of opinions regarding the same content element, and the influence of individual preferences and personal experiences.