Memes in 2025: How TikTok and the Demise of Twitter Changed the Game
In the ever-evolving landscape of digital culture, 2025 has seen a significant shift in the way memes are created, shared, and consumed. The rise of TikTok as a short-form video platform has become the epicenter of meme culture, with “TikTok trends” becoming the new norm. However, this shift has also led to a decline in traditional text-and-image-based memes that were once a staple of the internet.
The decline of Twitter, rebranded as X by Elon Musk, has also played a significant role in the rarity of memes. Previously, Twitter served as a central hub where memes were born, only to spread to other platforms like Reddit, Instagram, and Facebook. With X becoming increasingly difficult to use and less popular, this lifecycle has mostly disappeared.
Despite these changes, memes continue to persist on various platforms, including TikTok, Bluesky, Instagram, and even X. This year has seen some notable memes, including the “Trump take egg” joke, which poked fun at people who voted for former President Donald Trump expecting lower egg prices, only to see them skyrocket. Another example is the “Duke-White Lotus debacle,” which saw memes emerge after Duke’s stunning loss in March Madness, coinciding with the TV show The White Lotus featuring a character wearing a Duke t-shirt.
Other notable memes of 2025 include Morgan Wallen’s “Get me to God’s country” post, which saw the country star jokingly express his desire to leave the “liberal big city” after a controversy at Saturday Night Live. The “little French fish” meme, featuring a simple orange fish named Steve, also took the internet by storm. The conclave to decide the new pope sparked a wave of humorous memes and jokes, while TikTok’s “holy airball” trend saw users subvert expectations with a braggy phrase.
Perhaps the biggest meme of 2025, however, is the “100 men vs. 1 gorilla” debate, which imagined a silly fight between humans and an animal. Real scientists even weighed in on the topic, adding to the humor and absurdity of the meme.
As the year progresses, it’s clear that while memes may be fewer and farther between, they still have the power to bring people together and provide comedic relief. With the ever-changing landscape of digital culture, it will be interesting to see how memes continue to evolve and adapt to new platforms and trends. One thing is certain, however: the internet will always find a way to create and share humor, no matter what form it takes.
