"Internet and social media trends are much more short-lived today then they were a decade ago because the sheer volume of them has increased so tremendously," pop culture expert Mike agreed with Bored Panda that trends don't last as long as they used to in the past.
"Our attention is being bombarded by internet trends constantly now from multiple platforms. As humans we have a finite ability to focus, which limits how much time a trend will last," he said.
We were interested to get Mike's opinion on why certain things end up being integral and long-lasting parts of internet culture while others are forgotten as quickly as they are posted.
Here's what he had to say: "For something to become part of internet culture, it has to resonate with us almost immediately. Something humorous or inspiring will most often do it today because people are craving moments of happiness and inspiration."
Meanwhile, anything less lighthearted can end up being ignored. "Serious content is more likely to be filed to the back of our brain, with 'an I’ll get to that later' attitude."
In Mike's opinion, mass access to the internet has "tremendously" changed our lives for the better. "Think about it, no matter where you are, you can find out just about anything. To have that ability is almost magical." And yet, with great power...
"But it also comes with responsibility. It’s up to you to be selective in what you’re taking in on the internet, and even when to shut it off."
Ronald Rrusti, the person behind ‘The Funny Introvert’ social media project, shares on his website that he is a writer, meme enthusiast, and entrepreneur.
He’s very true to the name of his Instagram account. Earlier, he told Bored Panda that he prefers not to be in the spotlight, as he’s an introvert and everything. Instead, he prefers to give credit to others. Specifically, the people whose posts he features on his account.
Most of the jokes shared by ‘The Funny Introvert’ are pretty clear. However, not everyone gets every single joke. Some quips go flying way above our heads. And even though we laugh along with everyone else, inside our heads, we’re trying to do some serious humor calculations.
Comedy writer and stand-up comedy expert Ariane Sherine, from the UK, tackled the topic of not getting jokes in a previous interview with Bored Panda.
"Depending on the situation, it either means you’re not privy to knowledge you need to understand the joke, or it just means your brain doesn’t work in the way it needs to in order to understand that particular type of humor," she explained to us why we might sometimes not get the joke.
According to her, there’s really no reason to be worried if we miss some jokes. The humor expert highlighted the fact that not even comedy professionals ‘get’ every single quip. "Stuff goes over my head occasionally too and I’m a comedian!" she said.
Our ability to get jokes is partly down to how we’re wired, and partly due to the type of humorous content we’re exposed to when growing up.
"Babies find a lot of things funny, so it’s partly innate. But for jokes like puns, you definitely need a firm grasp of language, and for political satire, you of course need an understanding of politics,” the comedy expert said.
When it comes to actually telling a good joke, the responsibility doesn’t rest just on the comedian’s or the audience’s shoulders. It’s a shared experience.
"It really depends on the joke and how it’s told. People can’t be expected to get badly-told jokes where the setup or punchline is mangled, but if the joke’s told well, it’s not necessarily the comic’s fault if another person doesn’t get it," she said.
