Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
1st International Media, Digital Culture and Religion Congress, Kayseri, Türkiye, 26 - 28 Nisan 2024
Internet memes, which are a form of expression that comes with digital
culture, define the content that is generally spread through social media
platforms and often contains humour. Memes, which online communities use to
express their opinions, thoughts, positive or negative approaches, are a unique
communication method of internet culture. Memes can simplify even the most
complex issues as much as possible and convey them in a humorous language and
spread virally among social media users. The proliferation of memes in the
virtual environment offers a new dimension for the expression of personal and
social views for Islamic communities as well as for different communities in
social media. This study analyses the memes on religious channels on the Reddit
platform. The study analyzes 166 memes shared in selected communities between
January 1 and April 15, 2024 through content analysis and discusses how memes
are designed in relation to which topics and how they shape discourse and
religious communication. The data shows that religious memes on social media
focus on point of views, politics, cultural differences and the transmission of
religious knowledge. We also discuss how memes contribute to the formation of
online religious communities in the study. Accordingly, people's similar experiences
of religion are effective in establishing a bond between them that transcends
distances. The fact that religious language has started to include more misah
is also among the findings of the study. We also research the place of virtual
Islamic communities in digital culture and how religious communication is
shaped within digital culture.