Theory 3 of 3: What memes tell us about collective disillusionment

Highlight of the week: My team and I had a 3-day workshop in Toronto last week. We shared reflections, laughs, and a huge amount of Chinese food. Can’t wait to share what’s coming next… 👀 

If you were online last week, this image may be seared in your memory.

If you haven’t had the privilege of meeting my dear friend, let me introduce you to bloated JD Vance, a hot-off-the-press meme found in most people’s feeds. 

He circumvents gender norms, crosses cultural barriers, and even has brand endorsements. 🤑

Like all groundbreaking artistic movements, bloated Vance appeared without warning and disappeared just as fast, leaving us to wonder: What did we do to deserve him? 

The extent to which I understand the meme is this: 

• 😡 Many people hate JD Vance

• 😵‍💫 The news cycle is so chaotic, particularly with the Zelenskyy showdown

• 📸 JD Vance’s official photo was allegedly edited to give him a more pronounced chin 

• 🍼 The Internet responded by doing the opposite – giving him exaggerated, childlike features, making him say “pwease” and throwing tantrums 

One media outlet explains, “I think the reason the memes are so popular and cut across partisan lines is there is something uniquely alien and awful about Vance.”  

Welcome to politics in 2025, where everything feels surreal.

How did we end up here?

Let’s break this down.

👉 The first thing to understand is that young people were raised on a never-ending cycle of crisis content (aka the news). 

There’s no newspaper to finish or TV to turn off. Breaking news finds you no matter where you are, and it’s personalized for your neuroses. 

To quote my brother-in-law, a psychiatrist, “These anxieties aren’t new, but the pace at which technology exacerbates those anxieties is.” 🫣

Fears about the future permeate many people’s lives. For example, 40% of people anticipate World War 3 in the next 10 years, and 3 in 4 Britons worry about climate change.  

👉 Politics has lost all decorum – probably because of social media.

This point needs no convincing. The political climate we’re in is unlike anything we’ve seen before. Politicians will scream on live TV and physically fight in the Senate – all of which is amplified online.

Nearly half of Americans say the internet and social media have made people less civil in the way they talk about politics.

👉 Trust in institutions is rapidly declining

This is a natural consequence of the last two points. The news constantly stokes fear that the world is ending (it’s not), and politicians’ response is to name-call and fistfight. 🥊

Public trust in government has reached a historic low in the US, and the UK is well behind the OECD average. A minority of people trust the news in the Western world, and people aged 18 to 24 are among the most skeptical.

How are people responding?