A Winding Road of 23 Memes

Ally Perry • Writer and Editor

Aug 7, 2026 9:15 AM EDT

Is the internet even for exploring anymore?

Even those who disagree on the direction that being online is going in can concur that the internet of today looks radically different from the one that existed decades ago. This isn't just because of all the technological advancements that we have witnessed, and the fact that most no longer have to rely on dial-up; it is the way in which we find and consume all manner of content, and what that means for how we function in every area of life.

Once upon a time, finding stuff that was useful to you or that you liked was a matter of doing some serious research, or you joined some kind of specialized community, or you stumbled upon it in a happy coincidence. Nowadays, though, tech companies have spent a lot of time figuring out how to serve up exactly what we want, or what they want us to want, at any given time, and we are all in thrall to the mysterious ways of the algorithm. More and more, we get spoonfed the kind of thing that is likely to keep us watching and/or scrolling.

Naturally, this makes flexing the muscle of true curiosity somewhat more difficult, not only because we are less inclined towards it, but also because it isn't encouraged. While a list of memes like this may in some ways contribute to the spoon-feeding, it is also random enough to maybe push us out of our comfort zone a little, and encourage us to engage with things that are not exactly catered to our wants and desires. We can almost tell ourselves that it's healthy.

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