A Comparative Study on the Use Situation of Memes in China, Korea, and Japan

Abstract

Memes are a popular communication medium in the Internet era. The use of memes is closely related to the culture of a particular society. However, it was noticed that the usage of memes differs in East Asia including China, Korea, and Japan. This study applied the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to compare and contrast the prevalence of memes in China, Korea, and Japan. Semi-structured interviews among six graduate students from China, Korea, and Japan (one male and female from each country) were conducted to investigate the current status of memes in East Asia, including people's familiarity, perception, and function of memes, etc. Then three potential cultural reasons were concluded using thematic analysis: collectivist culture, people's consideration of copyright, and interpersonal distance. Through the window of memes, unique Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cultures were discussed, which may contribute to virtual intercultural communication and mutual understanding among people with various cultural backgrounds.