An Authoritative Screed of 33 Random Memes

Ally Perry • Writer and Editor

Jul 24, 2023 2:00 PM EDT

We've all bought in to the idea that memes are meant to be something fun. They're supposed to be a silly distraction from the more important things, something that brings a smile to our otherwise miserable faces.

It could be argued, though, that we are looking at them in entirely the wrong way. Funny they may occasionally be, but memes aren't here to entertain us. Instead, they encourage us to be bored in a way that keeps us attached to our screens. Many of us are guilty of having a half-hearted scroll on our phones when we're meant to be watching a movie or TV show that we really enjoy, or having a conversation with someone we love. Memes are often about how we connect to the real world, but they often take us away from it. Damn, maybe those corny artists who draw cartoons of social media apps as drugs are kind of onto something.