“You don’t get it? Maybe you’re not just chronically online as I am.” 

You might have heard this phrase before from a friend, classmate, or someone you know when they mention a joke or reference that you do not understand. However, what does being “chronically online” mean? 

It does not necessarily mean that you are online every second of the day, instead, it refers to how deeply the internet culture, such as memes, trends, and viral jokes, shape the way we think, speak, and interact with people in and out of the internet.  

In today’s generation, scrolling through social media has been part of many people's everyday routine as eating breakfast is. With so many users online, internet trends, jokes, and memes, can immediately spread like wildfire. A very famous source from these internet references is “TikTok.”

 A TikTok video or audio can easily become a meme for a lot of people. When someone mentions a line from a trending video or audio from TikTok and everyone laughs, it feels like you are part of an inside joke—an inside joke that is shared, not just by a few friends, but thousands or millions of people all around the world. In a way, this is like the internet creating a global community where humor, creativity, and expression travels beyond borders. 

However, not everyone always understands these trends. There are times when the older generations might not be able to keep up with the constant changing and arising of trends. On the other hand, the younger generations always find it easy catching up with the jokes and trends that are popping up rapidly. As they easily recognize these references from viral memes and trends, it gives them a sense of belongingness from their peers and online communities as if they are part of a shared online culture that only those “in the loop” truly understand. 

Internet trends, memes, and jokes move incredibly fast. One day, you might see it everywhere, with people recreating it, sharing it, and even products and big brands will be using it as a marketing tactic. Companies know that if they keep up and follow the trends, people would swoon over it or in a much modern term “eat it up”—finding the content relatable. But, the next day, suddenly no one’s mentioning it anymore, thinking the content or trend is now “overused” and “old”, and so, they adapt quickly—moving onto the next trend. 

Being chronically online also has its downsides. When most interactions and exchanges happen between screens, it can blur the line between online life and real life. Some of the younger generations might feel pressured to keep up with trends, stay online as often as possible, and constantly be updated on every new viral trend, afraid that if their “IRL” friends or “In real life” friends mention a joke they see online, they would not understand the reference. 

It also creates the feeling of “FOMO” or the fear of missing out; missing out on all the newest trends and being left out of conversations and topics that everyone understands. 

Yet, the internet is not entirely a bad thing. Memes, trends, and jokes are often clever, funny, and are things that young people often find relatable and what connects them to one another. Many people use trends, memes, and jokes as a way to express themselves such as their own personal experiences, everyday struggles, and insights in life in a humorous way, to which many people may find it relatable. 

Completely avoiding the internet is not the solution to stop being “chronically online.” Because, in today’s generation, that is almost impossible, considering that the internet is now a major part of our everyday lives. Instead, it is about balancing—logging off occasionally, spending time with friends or family, doing your hobbies, and taking a breath of fresh air can help you shift your mind away from the internet. Because, what is the use of spending time together if you are all glued to your devices’ screens, all in a different world thinking as if you are all together in person, when the reality is, you’re completely far apart. 

Trends come and go. And they may keep changing overnight, but let us not forget the real moments; being with friends, family, doing what we love, and learning new things, beyond the screen. These are the things that actually last longer.

So, the next time someone says “maybe you’re not just chronically online as I am.” You can respond to them by giving them advice that might go like, “How about you go outside and touch some grass?”