Internet meme transformation rules: A view from Peirce's semiotics.

This article examines internet memes through the lens of Charles S. Peirce's semiotic theory, focusing on memes as signs that combine images and captions to convey emotional and cultural messages. It argues that memes function as Peircean icons whose meaning depends on the interplay between the meme's type (the general idea or form) and token (its specific instances), with transformations governed by a "habit of inference" that ensures continuity of meaning despite variations. Two examples—the "Me and my boss" meme and the "Distracted boyfriend" meme—illustrate how memes evolve while retaining recognizable structures, influenced by whether the caption or image primarily defines the meme's type. The study highlights that memes operate within cultural boundaries and that their persistence depends on maintaining a balance between innovation and recognizability, regulated by semiotic and logical principles rather than purely biological or evolutionary models.