Digital Folk Narrative Genres in Crisis Management: Student Digital Memes Concerning the Tempi Accident

Abstract

In recent years, through online memes, popular culture attains new dimensions and dynamics, targeting individuals belonging to various social groups. One such group comprises higher education students, who, as part of the broader society, possess distinct habits and concerns. This research concentrates on memes that were disseminated on Greek social media following the train crash in the Tempe region, which resulted in numerous fatalities and injuries. This accident profoundly affected Greek citizens, particularly students, as the majority of the victims were higher education students. Therefore, through internet memes, the concerns, reactions, and emotions of students as internet users in response to this tragic event were captured. The research sample comprises online memes published between March 2023 and May 2024. These memes were categorized based on their subject matter, mode of content presentation, and period of their publication. Subsequently, a thematic analysis of their content was conducted, integrating the accompanying imagery and the linguistic choices within the meme texts. Findings of our research will hopefully enhance understanding of the digital memes phenomenon, elucidate their connection with popular culture, and provide insights into contemporary modes of student expression via the internet.