It’s been over a decade since the first memes started appearing on the internet. From the classic “I can has cheezburger?” cat to the more recent “This is fine” dog, memes have become a staple of internet culture. But how have they evolved over the years? In this article, we’ll take a look at memes from 2009 and compare them to the memes of 2022.
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The Rise of Social Media
In 2009, social media was still in its infancy. Facebook had only been around for a few years, and Twitter was just starting to gain popularity. As a result, most memes were shared through email and message boards. They were often low-quality images with text overlaid in Impact font.
Fast-forward to 2022, and social media is now the primary way that memes are shared. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit have become the go-to places for discovering and sharing memes. Memes have also become more visually sophisticated, with many incorporating video and animation.
The Evolution of Humor
Humor is subjective, and what is considered funny can change over time. In 2009, memes were often simple jokes with a punchline. They were often based on popular culture references, such as the “Bad Luck Brian” meme, which featured a photo of a high school student with text describing his misfortunes.
Today, memes are often more surreal and absurd. They can be difficult to explain to someone who is not familiar with internet culture. For example, the “Stonks” meme features a stick figure character with an upward-trending graph overlaid on top of it. The joke is that the graph is meant to represent something that is increasing in value, but the stick figure is often used in situations where it doesn’t make sense.
The Impact of Politics
In 2009, memes were mostly apolitical. They were meant to be silly and fun, without any real message behind them. But as politics has become more polarized in recent years, memes have become a way for people to express their views on current events.
One of the most famous examples of this is the “Bernie Sanders sitting in a chair” meme from 2021. The image of the Vermont senator sitting cross-legged in a folding chair at the inauguration of President Biden became a viral sensation, with people photoshopping him into all sorts of situations. The meme was seen as a way for people to express their support for Sanders and his progressive policies.
The Future of Memes
So what does the future hold for memes? It’s hard to say. The internet moves at such a fast pace that it’s difficult to predict what will become popular next. However, one thing is certain: memes will continue to be a part of internet culture for years to come.
As one internet user put it, “Memes are the language of the internet. They allow us to communicate with each other in a way that is both funny and relatable. As long as the internet exists, memes will continue to evolve and change.”
Whether you love them or hate them, memes have become an integral part of internet culture. They have the power to bring people together and make us laugh, even in the darkest of times. So here’s to another decade of memes, may they continue to keep us entertained.
