What Does POV Mean And Why Do Some Memes Use The Term Incorrectly? POV Memes On The Internet Explained

If you've seen a meme on the internet that starts off with POV: followed by a typically strange circumstance, you have delved into the ever-evolving and weird world of POV memes. The term stands for the phrase "Point Of View," and initially grew popular on the video-sharing app TikTok.

But the term isn't always used as is intended, with TikTok roleplay communities creating and in time misusing the literal meaning of the word in a way that might be hard to understand. Here's everything you need to know about POV memes and their roleplay-acting roots.

Where Did POV Memes Originate?

POV Memes evolved from an internet trend that tried to provide viewers with an unusual and comedic perspective. "POV" style videos are generally understood to have originated on TikTok, where TikTokers posted roleplay videos that attempted to involve the audience by providing a prompt in the form of a "Point Of View."

The above videos show people subverting such roleplay videos by placing the viewer in the role of an object as opposed to a character, such that one takes on the "Point Of View" of Nintendo DS or a beauty blender.

How Did POV Memes Evolve Over The Years?

POV memes gradually spread out from TikTok onto other websites and formats, with users on sites like Reddit and iFunny catching onto the trend and making image memes following the same basic principle of providing the viewer with an unusual "Point Of View"

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Why Is The Term 'POV' Often Misused On The Internet?

While the POV meme trend began as a way of depicting what the viewer is seeing in the scenario created by the meme maker, POV videos on TikTok devolved over the years into vehicles for TikTokers to share acting videos focussed on themselves.

Another example of someone making a mistake while making a POV meme is shown below, with the "POV" of someone falling into the ocean not really showing a Point Of View at all, but rather simply depicting a scene.

For the full history of POV Memes, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.