what does it mean to be “meta” about something?

Question

The title. I never understood that expression… can someone help?

Edit: auto correct on ‘someone’

In: 1694

Answer 1

There are 2 generally used forms:

Self-referential or aware. Bo Burnham is very meta, he’s a social media comedian performer who mocks social media comedians and even his own audience.

The second is “optimal” in reference usually to a field. Video games, card games, etc refer to what is “meta” as what is most commonly used or most optimal in that competition. You might hear “meta builds” for a league of legends character, meaning the optimal items and equipment they buy and in what order to perform best by the top players.