List of Internet phenomena

Internet phenomena are social and cultural phenomena specific to the Internet, such as Internet memes, which include popular catchphrases, images, viral videos, and jokes.

When such fads and sensations occur online, they tend to grow rapidly and become more widespread because the instant communication facilitates word of mouth transmission.

This list focuses on the internet phenomena that is accessible regardless of local internet regulations.

Challenges generally feature Internet users recording themselves performing certain actions, and then distributing the resulting video through social media sites, often inspiring or daring other users to repeat the challenge.

Picture of Kerfuś, mascot of Carrefour , that became viral with Polish internet users in 2022
Nicole Kidman starred in a 2021 AMC Theatres commercial that went viral thanks to its grand style and the melodrama of Kidman's monologue.
A group of Polandball characters
xkcd 's "Wikipedian Protester" comic
Two screenshots from before and after the drop in a Harlem Shake video
A man in a Halloween costume as the Barbenheimer phenomenon that resulted from the films Barbie and Oppenheimer sharing the same July 21, 2023, release date.
The adult brony fandom of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic grew from its 4chan roots.
Bowsette is a fan-made, gender-swapped version of the Mario franchise character Bowser.
" The cake is a lie ", based on the false promise of a Black Forest cake as a reward, is popularized from the video game series Portal .
QWOP 's title refers to the four keyboard keys used to move the muscles of the sprinter avatar.
An example of a solution from the viral game " Wordle ", developed by Josh Wardle
U.S. President Barack Obama jokingly mimics the " McKayla is not impressed" expression in the Oval Office , November 2012.
Big Floppa
An example of the "What the fuck did I just read?" meme.
Amber Lee Ettinger , a.k.a. "Obama Girl"
The paperclip that Kyle MacDonald converted into a house, after 14 trade-ups