Semiotics is the study of signs and how they are interpreted. Signs can be iconic, symbolic, or arbitrary and take on meaning based on the sign itself, what it refers to, and how users interpret it. The interpretation of signs is socially and culturally conditioned, as different groups may assign different meanings depending on if they share the same codes and conventions. Semiotic theorists like Saussure, Pierce, and Barthes contributed key concepts to understanding signs, including the distinction between the signifier and signified, and how signs can operate as icons, indexes, symbols, myths, and take on denotation and connotation. Media utilizes various sign systems and codes to anchor preferred meanings.