Digital intimacy: how everyday meme sharing shapes identity and relationships

In the past decade, memes have emerged as a prominent mode of online interaction that influence social, cultural, and political discourse, but less attention has been given to people’s everyday practices associated with memes. Based on two focus-group interviews conducted with undergraduate university students in Denmark, we examine how, when and why memes are a part of everyday lives and practices – particularly focusing on the relational and intimate dimensions of meme circulation among friends and family. Our findings indicate that meme-sharing is a habitual yet meaningful practice, deeply embedded in participants’ digital routines. The analysis identifies memes’ dual functions, as embedded cultural practices and narrative devices for establishing digital intimacy. By focusing on private, interpersonal meme-sharing among young adults, we show how engagement with memes represents a complex interplay of routine engagement, self-reflection, and relational communication that shapes both individual identity and intimate relationships.