While memes are seemingly trivial and mundane artifacts, they actually reflect deep social and cultural structures. In many senses, Internet memes can be treated as (post)modern folklore, in which shared norms and values are constructed through cultural artifacts such as Photoshopped images or urban legends. (Shifman 15)
Shifman suggests that examining a single meme is less revealing than evaluating the common ideas and forms shared by many (15). Look up 10+ examples of a popular meme (such as ten examples of Bad Luck Brian). What shared norms and values are conveyed by users who post or forward this meme? Evaluate what makes this meme type popular. (Who uses it? When? Where? Why? etc.)
You may look up memes you know using Google image search https://www.google.com/imghp or scroll through the choices at a popular meme hub like Know Your Meme http://knowyourmeme.com/memes. Your journal should be at least a page handwritten ( a page typed) and should include images or links to at least 3 representative examples to support your analysis.
Journal