Memes aren’t just dumb jokes on the internet — they’re this wild little language we all speak without even realizing it.
Research shows that emotionally charged posts are shared far more often than neutral ones, because people want to express what they’re feeling in a quick, relatable way.
“There is a vast literature on what makes meme spread: some are the obvious timeless topics of salaciousness, greed, topicality, perceived usefulness and so on. Essentially, what is interesting (at a very basic level). The more surprising and revealing finding is that negative, controversial content gets more engagement,” Salvatore Attardo, Professor of Linguistics at East Texas A&M University, tells Bored Panda.
Part of what makes memes so addictive is also how fleeting they are — that feeling of knowing which memes your friends are talking about is half the fun.
While some classics stay around for a long time, most memes disappear as quickly as they arrived.
“Timing and more broadly the context of humor online is crucial. One of the aspects of memes that I have studied is how they undergo a ‘cycle’ going from a niche audience and, if they are successful, spreading to a much wider audience,” Attardo says.
Attardo believes that something that was funny yesterday, can quickly become tired and old tomorrow.
“Take the infamous 6-7 meme. It starts out as a reference to a rapper’s lyrics, spreads in the niche environment of basketball videos, goes viral, and spreads among early teens who use it to drive grown-ups insane by placing them into the out-group. By the time media start talking about it, the meme loses its ‘insider’ value and becomes unfashionable and is thus abandoned for something else new,” he says.
When I see a meme blowing up in likes and shares, it doesn’t just make me laugh, it makes me feel seen.
It’s wild to think that someone thousands of miles away has gone through the exact same thing — like freezing up when a stranger joins the conversation, or completely blanking when someone asks for directions in your own city.
"Memes work by using familiar visual patterns alongside emotional resonance. When the audience sees a meme that reflects how they feel or what they experience, it creates a sense of belonging and community,” says Miguel Heinonen, a researcher studying the psychology behind memes.
Meme culture has also embraced cheerful nihilism by turning everyday frustrations — or the idea that life has no inherent meaning — into something funny and relatable.
Research says that younger generations know exactly what they’re doing when they joke about doom and existential chaos. They lean into it on purpose — taking heavy, scary thoughts and wrapping them up in humor.
That’s why you’ll so often see a completely bleak or depressing caption paired with a cute picture or bright colors. The contrast is kind of the point.
It is a way for them to process world events and personal uncertainties in a positive manner.
Memes have also sort of become cultural currency, with influencers, brands and even news outlets using them liberally.
They’re a quick and witty way to comment on topics such as politics, economics, or social issues.
Sometimes all it takes is a single image — like the “This is fine” dog sitting in a burning room or baby Yoda sipping soup — to show complicated emotions or even drop subtle political commentary.