Meta, or self-reference, occurs when something refers to itself or its own category. For example, a book discussing its own writing process is a meta-narrative. This concept is often used in literature, art, and philosophy to explore deeper meanings and layers of understanding. In the digital world, meta can also refer to data about data, such as tags or descriptions that provide context for content. For instance, a website might use meta tags in its HTML to describe its content, helping search engines like Google understand and categorize the information effectively.