Bored Panda got in touch with Rob, the creator and current administrator of the “Check your kids at the door” and he was kind enough to answer some of our questions. Firstly, we wanted to know what inspired him to create a meme page on Instagram just for parenting content.
“I started my page almost 5 years ago. I was making memes and sharing them with family and friends and decided to start posting them. I try and keep my page mostly original memes. I'm always looking for new templates and clips to create with. A lot of the time it's while watching a movie with my kids,” he shared.
Given the page’s popularity and age, we were curious to hear what Rob thought was its main draw and what makes a good parenting meme. “I think a good parenting meme needs to be relatable. The ups and downs of parenting are something everyone experiences and it's easy to connect with,” he shared with Bored Panda.
“The majority of parenting memes are made by moms. There aren't as many dads who do it so it does give a different perspective on raising kids,” he added, so if you are a dad and have a meme you would like to share, go to the “Check your kids at the door” Instagram page and send it to Rob.
In general, meme culture has “exploded” since the 2000s, as more people spend time online and have access to the internet through their phones, tablets, and other devices. While the word “meme” in its modern context was coined by Richerd Dawkins in 1976, it was only in 2013 that researcher Limor Shifman created a new synthesis of Dawkins' ideas and the reality of internet content.
Since memes simply rely on shared experiences, it’s not surprising that every group on the planet has at least one meme page dedicated to it. Test it out yourself, you might have to dig around a bit, but from Instagram to Reddit, nearly every topic on the planet has a few creative fans out there making memes.
With various tools, tutorials, and types of software out there, it’s really never been easier to make memes, which is perhaps exactly how the “meme economy” can sustain itself. In the past, professionals would be required to make anything from a song to a video, now casual hobbyists can try their hand at online fame from the comfort of their own bedrooms.
