Scrolling through something we can relate to might be appealing for many reasons, the main one arguably being that we’re familiar with the feeling it evokes, be it good or bad. Depending on the content, it might elicit a nostalgic sigh, awaken the butterflies in our stomach, or make us cringe hard, as it can bring us right back to the time when we experienced the depicted situation firsthand.
Bearing in mind that memes often cover instances that are based on social interactions, the joys and burdens of everyday life, or other scenarios likely experienced by many, and that there are thousands if not millions of them created every day, it’s no surprise that memes are often the content people tend to relate to.
Another reason memes tend to be the content people feel they can relate to is their rather simple structure. Giving a brief look at an image with a witty caption takes less time before one can say “I know what this feels like!”, compared to reading through numerous pages describing the same situation in great detail.
The ‘Puberty Hits’ Instagram account is arguably a great source of memes depicting situations people can identify with. “You can probably relate to most of our posts,” says its description, and it looks like millions of people agree, as the account can pride itself on having over 3.7 million followers. Started over a decade ago, in 2012, it boasts a collection of over 2500 posts.
“Relatability is the chief psychological lubricant that glides you thoughtlessly down the curated, endless scroll of your feed,” the writer, editor, and photographer Jeremy D. Larson once wrote for the New York Times. Perfectly summing up what the word now means in the context of social media, he continued to point out that it was added to people’s vocabularies back in the 1940s but only entered mainstream circulation in the 1980s.
In addition to providing a sense of comfort to netizens, relatability in the context of social media can bring monetary benefits, too. Nowadays, consumers—whose financial decisions are often influenced by social media—seem to be increasingly drawn to brands and companies sharing relatable content, rather than a picture-perfect image of life, which often feels unattainable. The former type enables the company, brand, or organization to connect with the customer and earn their trust easier, consequently creating a stronger relationship with them.
Statistics seem to support the idea that companies and brands can benefit from relatable content, especially memes. Surveys suggest that more than 60% of respondents say they are more likely to purchase something from businesses that use memes in their marketing. In addition to that, meme campaigns reportedly achieve 14% higher click-through rates (CTR) than good old email marketing.
Even if a meme ends up not attracting any paying customers, it can increase brand awareness, as good memes tend to spread like wildfire. According to Gitnux, back in 2013, the ‘Doge’ meme was shared more than 1,000,000 times on Facebook alone. A similar number of shares on the platform was accumulated by the ‘This Is Fine’ meme in 2020. In 2017, memes of beloved ‘Kermit the Frog’ were reportedly shared more than two million times on Instagram.
These are just a few examples of how popular memes can get, as they clearly are one of the netizens’ most beloved forms of content. If you belong to those who enjoy a good meme—and judging by the fact that you ended up on this list, you probably do—you’re in luck, as here at Bored Panda we have plenty; feel free to visit our meme category, brimming with all sorts of relatable content, and explore your options. Happy scrolling!