HISTORICAL FACTS: Funny gen x memes | History Defined

Internet memes are a phenomenon that spreads like wildfire, and there’s no end in sight when it comes to their prevalence. You can create them about anything and everything, as long as there’s something on your mind. That’s why they cover topics from cat behavior to economic crises, and everything in between, including peculiarities of each and every generation.

The Washington Post pointed out that during the first seven years of its existence—from 2008 to 2015, to be exact—the page ‘Know Your Meme’ documented roughly 12,300 memes. It is difficult to determine how many of them there are now, but one thing is clear—it must be a lot.

Memes are typically witty and oh so accurate, and that can be seen just by looking at the examples on this list. Everyone with a birth date that starts with 19 followed by a six, a seven, or an eight (in the case of 1980 babies) can definitely relate to them.

Pictures of the “remote control” from the seventies reminds them—the “remote control” in their family—of the times they’d be running between the couch and the TV to change the channel. Not to mention the nostalgia that seeing the patterns on the backs of computer game cards brings.

Nostalgia is likely one of the reasons such memes gain popularity. There’s something comforting about that warm fuzzy feeling (or a heartfelt giggle) they often bring, especially when you’re down and longing for the good old days.

According to the licensed psychologist and professor of psychology at LeMoyne College, Dr. Krystine Batcho, nostalgia is a feeling that unifies. In the podcast ‘Speaking of Psychology’, she explained that it unites “our sense of who we are, our self, our identity over time”.

Dr. Batcho pointed out that we’re constantly changing, which makes us way different from what we used to be, whether it’s three years or decades ago. By encouraging us to remember past events, nostalgia unites us to the authentic self and allows us to compare it with who we are now. This way it also helps us to get a sense of what version of ourselves we’d like to be in the future.

‘Medical News Today’ revealed that the term ‘nostalgia’ was first used to describe being homesick. It derives from the ancient Greek words nostos (home) and algos (pain), and was coined by physician Johannes Hofer back in the 17th century. He used it to describe the adverse feeling Swiss soldiers had being away from home.

Home is typically something dear to our hearts, a place we miss while being away and can’t wait to come back to (after the day at the office, especially). That’s why it’s not that surprising that the origins of the concept of nostalgia can be traced back to longing for home.

‘Science Friday’ revealed that nostalgic memories typically involve cherished moments or time spent with loved ones. They usually evoke joy, a sense of belonging and meaningfulness in life. And that’s a state every person is likely to feel fond of.

Bringing positive emotions is one of the reasons people tend to feel nostalgic when they’re feeling blue. Clay Routledge, a social psychologist at North Dakota State University, told ‘Science Friday’ that people rarely ever choose to recall memories of mundane events, such as going to work or paying taxes.

Instead, they think about the special moments, such as weddings and graduations, or the people they love. That’s how, according to Dr. Routledge, nostalgia helps people deal with negative mental states. Bringing back beautiful memories becomes a coping mechanism, in a way.

When it comes to generation X, they have plenty to feel nostalgic about. Due to the rapid pace of technological development and other changes in, well, basically everything, the world as we know it now is far from the one they grew up in. And adjusting to change is not always easy. That’s why it’s understandable to look back on the good old days, seeking the warm embrace of something familiar—recalling an image of a toy from one’s childhood or food grandma used to make, for example.

In addition to the Gen X memorabilia, this list is brimming with descriptions of situations oh so familiar, as well as numerous pop culture references. For instance, the youth nowadays might not be able to name the movie by looking at a picture of the ‘Grease’ cast; however, it would take no more than a blink of an eye for a Gen X representative to do that.

And that’s just one example of a topic they would likely excel at. For more all-things-gen-X, browse this list previously shared by Bored Panda to see what things people consider the most representative of this generation.