Memes Are the Internet’s Most Efficient Group Therapy

Memes are the internet’s most efficient group therapy. One blurry image and a sentence about answering emails can communicate an entire week of quiet despair more clearly than a 40-minute video call.

They also let us feel seen without having to explain ourselves. A friend sends a raccoon staring at a laptop, and suddenly the whole team has checked in. No appointment, no copay, just a tiny animal carrying the emotional workload of modern life.

Of course, memes don’t solve the problem. The raccoon still has 87 unread emails. But for a few seconds, at least, it knows it isn’t alone.