Copypasta is a term for a block of text that has been copied and pasted multiple times. It is often jumbled, disjointed or ridiculous in some way. Copypasta makes its way across a social media platform, forum or email chain to reach multiple users. In its final form, it is constituted by some kind of memorable text, frequently associated with memes.
The word “copypasta” was created by merging the words: “copy” and “paste.” These words represent two of the most common commands used by computer and smartphone users to take (copy) a block of text and replicate (paste) it somewhere else without having to type it manually.
Each copypasta has its own origin. They can originate from a viral tweet or post, an inappropriate or weird forum response, or an otherwise comic or amusing block of text. Ultimately, when this text picks up sufficient exposure, it continues to be copied and pasted over and over again in different places (such as social media, forums or online chats), often evolving into something different.
To draw a parallelism with real-life social interactions, it is similar to what happens when a group a people get together and laugh about what someone else said, mocking it and changing it into some kind of catch phrase or inside joke - which, in the case of copypasta, might be very long.