Meme Mashup

Scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, you might find yourself laughing at memes about climate change, inequality, and the current and future crises facing humanity.

But don’t mistake this humor for apathy. For most young people, memes aren’t just digital jokes—they’re powerful tools to cope with uncertainty, highlight injustices, and demand meaningful action. As we pass the midpoint toward the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, only about 17% of the targets are on track, leaving young people understandably frustrated and turning to memes for both comfort and commentary .

Let’s unpack some iconic memes circulating online today to understand what they say about the intersection of youth, justice, and sustainability—and why these jokes matter more than you might think.

🔥 The 'This is Fine' Meme: Laughing Through a Crisis

What’s happening

In this classic meme, a helpless dog sips coffee saying “This is fine” while everything burns around it. Gen Z has repurposed it to express climate change denial – the dog represents leaders or skeptics ignoring the climate crisis. It’s absurd and relatable: as the planet heats up, those in power sometimes act as if all is well.

Why it resonates

This meme humorously but sharply critiques the dangerous normalization of crises. It's a coping mechanism that helps us acknowledge reality without falling into despair. Experts agree humor can ease "eco-anxiety," which has become increasingly common among children and young people.

The real-world data

Unfortunately, the world is not fine.Recent UN reports confirm what we feel intuitively: global progress on sustainability is seriously off-track. Only a fraction of targets are within reach, while others have stalled or regressed. Pew Research finds young people are most likely to feel anxious about this future.

Image credit: ‘On Fire’ (2013) by KC Green – first shared in Gunshow

We did it, Patrick meme. Know Your Meme. Based on SpongeBob SquarePants, Season 3, Episode 8a, created by Stephen Hillenburg, aired 1 June 2002 on Nickelodeon.

🌈 “We Did It, Patrick!” – Paper Straws vs. a Burning Planet

What’s happening

This SpongeBob SquarePants meme shows the characters rejoicing while everything around them is destroyed. Caption variations mock token efforts that barely fix a problem. Gen Z uses it to critique feel-good environmentalism – like banning plastic straws and then declaring victory while oceans fill with trash. The sarcastic punchline: “We did it, Patrick! We saved the city!” (as the city crumbles).

Why it resonates

It’s a perfect satire of half-measures on sustainability (SDG 13 Climate Action and SDG 14 Life Below Water). Young people share this meme whenever a tiny eco-action is overhyped. Example: a company introduces paper straws (then wraps them in plastic) – cue SpongeBob meme. The humor lies in the absurd overstatement. Young people are highly aware that individual fixes mean little if systemic challenges and inequities aren’t tackled.

The real-world data

Are we “saving” the environment? Not yet. Every year, 19–23 million metric tons of plastic waste enter aquatic ecosystems – equivalent to ~2,000 garbage trucks dumping into our oceans daily. Plastic straws are a drop in that bucket; over 85% of marine litter is plastic by mass. The meme highlights young people’s awareness that industrial waste, not just consumer choices, drive this crisis. It aligns with SDG 14 (protect the oceans) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption). The SpongeBob meme is their tongue-in-cheek call-out of superficial solutions. After all, recycling alone won’t cut it – as the UN says, we need a “systemic transformation”toward a circular economy to beat plastic pollution.

😈“I Don’t Dream of Labor”: Rejecting Hustle Culture

What’s happening

In this popular tweet-turned-meme, a user jokes about trolling job recruiters – asking for the salary, then rejecting the offer as too low, purely to push wages up. It’s a cheeky form of economic “activism.” This meme reflects SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) through humor. Essentially, pay us fairly or we walk. It spread widely as young workers related to the sentiment of not settling for scraps.

Why it resonates

Gen Z came of age during the gig economy, pandemic burnout, and “quiet quitting” cultural shifts. Many disagree with the idea that their life’s goal is a 9-to-5 grind. As one viral phrase goes: “I do not dream of labor.” Instead of candidates desperately vying for jobs, here the job gets judged and found wanting. The meme taps into a broader push among young people for work-life balance, fair wages, and dignity at work. Rather than the “hustle harder” mantra, Gen Z is more likely to meme about hustling the hustlers. It’s both a joke and a commentary on stagnant wages and high costs of living that make many young people cynical about traditional career paths.

The real-world data

There’s truth behind the humor. Today’s youth are indeed demanding more from employers – and walking away if they don’t get it. In 2021–2022 we saw record quits in the U.S., and terms like “quiet quitting” (doing only what one is paid for, no extra) trended. Why? Stagnant real wages and rising burnout. Globally, youth unemployment remains high (about 13% in 2023, ~65 million young people), and many who do work feel their jobs are precarious or underpaid – half of employed youth are in informal jobs. A 2024 survey found two-thirds of young workers worldwide experience anxiety about their job prospects.

@InternetH0F

Barbie vs. Weird Barbie. Know Your Meme. Based on Barbie (2023), Warner Bros. Pictures.

💅 Barbiecore Meets Burnout: “Weird Barbie” and Gender Equality

What’s happening

The movie itself was a satire on gender roles, and Gen Z embraced its memes to talk about feminist issues playfully. They created custom Barbie poster memes describing themselves or social issues. One viral edit showed “This Barbie is a software engineer.” Through humor, these memes advanced conversations on women’s empowerment, body positivity, and inclusion (aligned with SDG 5 targets on equality and SDG 10 on reduced inequalities).

Why it resonates

It’s the perfect mix of nostalgic fun and subversive messaging. Young people grew up with Barbies but also with critiques of Barbie’s unrealistic standards. The film flipped the script, and memes let young people join in that flip. By saying “This Barbie is [doing XYZ real-life thing]”, they assert that anyone can be Barbie – i.e. women can be anything, even tired revolutionaries in need of self-care. It’s funny because it contrasts the idealized doll image with messy reality (like a student Barbie drowning in homework). These memes also offered an accessible way to talk about serious topics: one widespread meme had Depressed Barbie staring blankly with the text “Just Girly Things: dissociating during societal collapse” – a gut-punch wrapped in pink sparkles.

The real-world data

Pop culture aside, gender equality is still a work in progress. Women hold just 26% of parliamentary seats globally and about 28% of management positions. The Barbie memes about women in STEM or leadership reflect a push to improve those numbers (SDG 5.5 aims for equal women representation in leadership). Meanwhile, burnout memes (“This Barbie is exhausted”) hint at a gendered reality: women often juggle work and the majority of unpaid caregiving. Globally, women perform 2.5× more unpaid care work than ment, contributing to stress and lower economic participation. No wonder “Barbie needs a nap.”

The “Cat and the Waffle” Meme – Pragmatic Optimism on Climate & Inequality

What’s happening

The wholesome visual of a proud, smiling cat with a waffle has been repurposed by young people to comment on serious issues in a tongue-in-cheek way. In the example above, the waffle is tagged “A Healthy Planet” being presented to “Young People,” wryly highlighting how a sustainable planet is viewed as a precious prize for the youth.

Why it resonates

This meme resonates deeply because it reflects the surreal experience of being young today: aware of global problems, yet trying to find joy in everyday life. Young people navigate pandemics, climate anxiety, and precarious futures, yet still enjoy waffles, coffee, and silly TikToks.

The real-world data

Researchers have found humor can indeed reduce anxiety, especially climate-related stress. While this meme seems trivial, it's a reminder of resilience. It's Gen Z acknowledging the seriousness of global problems but refusing to lose sight of life's small comforts. Instead of drowning in cynicism, they channel this emotion into dark humor that drives accountability and fuels movements. It's not just catharsis—it's shaping public opinion. Sharing this meme is a digital nod, a quiet solidarity among peers who understand the struggle between existential dread and appreciating life's simplest moments.

Blini Cat. Know Your Meme. Based on an image of a Russian cat named Jazz (Jazz Cat) seated by a plate of blinis, originally posted to Reddit in April 2015.

Meryl Streep cheering. Know Your Meme. Based on images from the 2015 SAG Awards and 2018 Oscars. Photograph of Meryl Streep cupping her hands and shouting, widely used as a reaction meme to express enthusiastic support or praise.