I started a social media trend without even trying…

In December of 2018, I made a tweet that didn’t exactly “take off,” but it did gain popularity; enough popularity to start a meme format. The format has spread from platform to platform and has even become the subject of its own adaptation. The “straight line, dashed line” meme that first made fun of instagram stories has now become a method of highlighting cinema, musical artists, and making punchlines.

This is super cool to me. I was at home and had an idea and it spread all over the world. The concept of media spreadability and meme culture is something I’ve been studying for the past few years at FSU, and to see it take a form in my own social media profile has been nothing less of amazing.

Here’s the first tweet that started it all, along with some of my favorite tweets following the format, and some noteworthy accounts (The Bachelor, Jersey Shore, Mark Ruffalo) who chose to chime in. I’m still seeing this format being used, and even evolving every day. Spreadable Media is more than a “viral” tweet, it’s the evolution and manipulation of thoughts and ideas.