“America Meets The Internet”: 50 Uncomfortably Funny Memes About Living In The United States
Not every joke or witty remark will have you rolling on the floor laughing, but there’s usually a kernel of truth in most of them. Take any country as an example - there are countless jokes and memes about what it’s like living there and what still needs to change to improve the situation. Many people embrace the humor, though some think it’s offensive to read anything negative about their home.
The satirical Instagram page America Meets The Internet dissects American society through memes and screenshots of brutally on-point comments about the country’s current state. We’ve collected some of their funniest, most powerful, and most insightful posts to share with you. Scroll down, upvote the ‘American shenanigans and memes’ you agree with, and be sure to share your opinions in the comments, dear Pandas.
Which of these pictures do you think were spot-on? Were there any that could have used more nuance? Let us know.
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The ‘America Meets The Internet’ page describes itself as dedicated to posting shenanigans and memes about the United States. The Instagram account is quite popular. At the time of writing, it had 377k followers.
A lot of followers enjoy the humor, weird memes, as well as the socio-political commentary interwoven into the pics. The page is a way to keep a finger on the pulse of America and some of the most important recent issues… at least in meme format.
There’s no such thing as a ‘perfect’ country. Every nation is plagued by its own unique set of issues that make life harder than it should be for its citizens. And the US is no exception.
For example, one major problem that many Americans face is the exorbitant cost of healthcare. We’ve previously covered on Bored Panda how insurance companies are heavily involved in the provision of care for a patient. That means that they do whatever they can to avoid paying for healthcare.
“We are trained very early, almost like soldiers, to work hard and long hours, deal with extremely stressful conditions, and work through the emotional turmoil of death, debility, and the effect those things have on the patient and their families,” one doctor previously told Bored Panda about the type of stress that healthcare providers deal with in the US.
“I love what I do because I could not see myself doing anything else. I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was 5, since I myself had a major medical issue. I remember the care and compassion my doctors when I was that age showed me, and helped me get through my very tough time. I wanted to do that for others, and so far I think I have done so. Insurance companies make it difficult though, and nearly force cold, inhumane, and compassionless rules on patients when they are most vulnerable,” he explained.
American hospitals are highly consolidated, meaning there’s less competition. Around a quarter of the costs that Americans pay for healthcare are administrative. To put it bluntly, you pay more due to how inefficient the bureaucratic system is.
The sad reality is that the US doesn’t provide the same bang for your buck as other developed countries do when it comes to healthcare. Americans pay far more. But they get far less. This is a pity because the country is full of talented and hard-working professionals, and has access to good tech.
The Peter G. Peterson Foundation explains that healthcare costs in the US come to around 12.3k dollars per person. Compare that to the nearly 7.4k dollars in Germany and 7.2k dollars in Switzerland. The average per capita healthcare spending in wealthy countries is just slightly over 5.8k dollars.
In short, this means that the spending in the US is more than twice the average of other developed nations.
This! This makes me so mad. But it’s true. Gen Z is going to have to try and salvage this broken world we’re going to inherit, and we’ve messed it up so much at this point I don’t think we can. And the cycle will continue through generations. 5 am all nighter me hates the world right now
Carving out a niche for yourself on social media is quite a challenge. There are so many creators and meme pages out there! So standing out is a problem if you’re doing the exact same thing that hundreds, thousands, or even millions of other internet users are.
Finding an interesting angle or a niche topic can help you stand out. Posting content consistently can, too. And if you focus on quality rather than quantity, you should eventually get the attention you deserve. However, luck also plays an important part in this. Unfortunately, not everyone will make it big on social media.
Previously, Bored Panda had spoken with Los Angeles-based content creator Trev Lewis about memes and comedy.
"The two most common types of content that go viral are animals and food. This is what the data shows. No matter how often algorithms get tweaked or which platform we’re discussing, people remain fixated on nourishment and other creatures. We are quite animalistic in that way," he told us during an earlier interview.
Relatability trumps humor when it comes to content going viral, Trev told us. "Relatability is a more crucial component because this is the factor that often inspires people to share the content with others. Sharing is the highest form of engagement and the one true path to viral content. All the other forms of engagement will follow it," he explained.
According to the content creator, people’s sense of humor tends to grow more sophisticated over time. As such, creators have to grow and adapt. Constantly! So while some older memes might still hold up today, odds are that most of them won’t. Some memes lose their novelty. Others require a lot more context that, as time goes by, gets forgotten as newer issues step into the spotlight.
"I suspect we [content creators] will only get more creative as time marches on. There's also an interesting theory that humor is primarily a coping mechanism or even a trauma response," he told us earlier. "As the conditions of the outside world continue to degrade, I suspect humor will be the first response from the internet.”
Living wage enforced by law, free healthcare, free (or at least affordable) education, affordable housing. These are not even slightly too far to the left. These are base pillars of propering society. We can see what is like to live without it. Fear, uncertianity, hopelessnes… it’s just not f*****g worth it.
It is the problem. She shouldn't have to use food stamps, she should have enough money, people should pay her enough. So she has to suffer while the wealthy throws away enough food a day to feed her family for a month. Edit: what the hell so many upvotes Thanks.
Or getting people into the government who wouldn't even get a job at a basic level entry due to lacking skills
Now now we can't have black people pulling down statues of their ancestors terrorists. *cough cough* I meant benefactors
I cannot express how angry this is making me. No need to watch dystopian shows, we're already living in it, in case you haven't noticed.
How long do they train to become a Police Officer? This is UK, btw ➡: "Upon commencement of employment all new recruits who will be serving in England will be enrolled on the Level 4 Non-Home Office Police Officer Apprenticeship delivered by the MDP. This is a two-year apprenticeship including 20 weeks of training, including Psych evaluations" Is it the same for American PO's?
I'm not American, but even I was dreading reading this because of the amount of these articles here on BP that completely mock the USA - it's disrespectful at this point. However, I'm glad this article showed both sides. For all the absolute crazies, there are more thoughtful, intelligent Americans standing up to them. If you must post articles showing up countries, make them like this one that shows both sides. EDIT: Both sides meaning I while I read about bad things, I also saw good people correcting them and standing up for what's right. For those who didn't understand.
What do you mean by both sides? Firstly. And secondly, no it didn’t. It shat on America all the way until the two fun posts at the bottom.
Load More Replies...BoredPanda staff, do you have absolutely nothing better to post that listicles constantly bashing the United States? It’s flat out sad and nasty. I’m not even from there, yet the constant nasty listicles like this are bordering on being flat out cruel. How would you like it if BoredPanda users constantly bashed your home country? Oh you wouldn’t? Then please stop with these lazy posts! This site has gotten so incredibly mean and negative anymore. You’re going to start losing a lot of readers.
I don’t like it either. We have so many problems in America but I still absolutely f*****g love it here. There’s so much awesome stuff about America that we could talk about. I could leave this place, nobody in my family lives here but me. But you’d have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming. America is fun, diverse, huge, difficult, beautiful, frustrating, charming, bland, all of those things. Highs and lows. There are definitely better places in some aspects, but not all aspects. There are worse places too. But I appreciate being able to live here. If my family wasn’t able to immigrate here just before I was born, I wouldn’t have this awesome and wonderful opportunity. We aren’t the land of freedom but we are do have chances here to be what we want to be. Many people don’t see it and many people have it hard enough to not really have many opportunities but for me, I’m so grateful and happy I’m an American.
Load More Replies...For people who insist we respect other cultures, some on Bored Panda certainly don't bother to even try. Merry Holiday to you, too, Bored Panda. (Yes, I'm being a little bitter, but for crying out loud. Peace on earth, goodwill anyone? Anyone? Bueller?)
Yeah, this was a really nasty and cruel listicle especially right around the holidays. Wishing you a very happy holiday Leo ❄️⛄️
Load More Replies...The first time or two I read a BP post bashing Americans I laughed. We are sometimes pretty lame. Definitely different than Europeans. But I have to say - I've had enough. It's sad that you feel like you have to constantly rehash the same thing over and over. I'm starting to think you do this to make yourself feel better about your own miserable life. Can't you be happy without bashing Americans all the time? Move on.
Thanks, it helps to know some European bystanders are stepping up. Especially around the holidays, when I was happy 5 minutes ago.
Load More Replies...Once again, the site that bills itself as celebrating art and creativity takes hateful aim at the US. BP has lost its way.
It’s really disturbing and quite sad. I’m originally from the UK and let me tell you that we have our fair share of problems as well. This site used to be about artwork and funny articles now it needlessly censors users, bans users for getting downvoted for different opinions, and has taken a really negative slant with their listicles. They have already lost a lot of readers. Hah hah, wish there was a way to report a post.
Load More Replies...Lithuanian authorities have detained thousands of migrants and refugees in militarised centres, where they are subjected to inhumane conditions and torture, according to a report Amnesty International.
Hey, let’s form a group. At the end of every bad American article, let’s make a comments thread for bashing Lithuania. See how they like it. So Lithuania, why are you buying so many drones if you can’t afford to help refugees? Heartless and selfish.
Load More Replies..."America Meets the Internet?" Strange title. Perhaps something like "Since we have nothing better to offer lets fall back on kicking the s**t out of America again." Sometimes it deserves it, sometimes not.
Even if it does deserves it, bashing isn’t nice anymore. Ignore the gov, what about the people? The people being insulted? 13 yr olds on BP who are so tired and just want a break and know how bad their country is?
Load More Replies...“The Court of Justice of the European Union confirmed the conclusions in a report on Lithuania, which details the authorities’ flagrant violation of European and international law by not only denying the right to asylum for irregular arrivals in the country, but also arbitrarily detaining them.”
Yes Richard,I realise everyone pays for Healthcare in some sense.I pay taxes but thankfully live I a country where operations,stoke care etc is all paid for,no magical health fairy here .But Noone should have to pay for anything medically ,when they have paid taxes for it already.
When commenters feel BP is anti American, I sometimes think they should lighten up. I read this after reading the thread about Ireland - I feel a bit like giving all our American pandas a big hug right now. This did seem overly mean. A massive amount of the posts could be aimed at any western country right now. Don't we all enjoy the threads that show a light hearted look at each others quirkyness? Let's have another PB tab for mean threads so they are easier to avoid. Big hugs to all my fellow pandas - from every country!
This made me really mad, but bright side I’ve spent about an hour here so it’s about time for me to get up. I don’t wanna, I wanna brew in my growing rage
The Dan Price Tweets need to be replaced wit the name Dan Rosenburg. Dan Price is being charged with sexual assault in Palm Springs and Seattle. His own ex-wife said he beat her. He is not a man to emulate. Dan Rosenburg should get the credit.
For some reason I had him and Dan Savage mixed up. I was like "wait a damn minute, that man's gay". I hadn't heard about those charges. Mad ducked.
Load More Replies...I went to college, though I wasn't able to finish my degree because I had to use my college fund for surgery. A Canadian I hardly know was so enraged on my behalf and I felt more cared about by this friend of a friend than my whole country combined.
You don’t have any American friends who cared about you?
Load More Replies...The American healthcare system may not be perfect, but I can't and won't complain. I just had surgery, medical necessity, that in the end would have cost me $33,313. I only paid $295, thanks to my health insurance and Medicare. Gripe all you want, I'm not about to turn my back on my country, and I don't see that other countries are anyplace I'd rather live. If those people who want to gripe and howl would go to those places they believe to be "perfect," then you'd be oing America a huge favor---you'd give the rest of us who love our nation a chance to get away from your ugly whining.
To all those saying this is US bashing....these are written BY Americans. THEY are venting because THEY are sick of the state of things in US.
Just wanted to do a shout out to the one they call Jesus on here. Thanks for making solid points and having me laugh throughout all the comments! You truly are the one.
I've read at least 10 references to "natural selection" and I'm not halfway through the list. You Euros must still be into eugenics. Much love to Eric Harris
There will always be folks poking fun at the US. Just like there's posts poking fun at other countries. Not everyone needs to get offended. There's a fair amount of truth here. Some of us understand there's issues, and despite some claiming the US is "the best country on Earth", most of us know there is no perfect place to live. Disrespectful? I suppose. But does it matter really what other people think? Not really I laughed at the stuff that was accurate, shrugged at the stuff that wasn't and said "that's your opinion", and moved on. As long as it's understood we're not ALL trumpers and gun nuts or whatever. Peace, and have a blessed day, however you celebrate this holiday season.
You find rude downright bullying funny? Oh go f**k off.
Load More Replies...But. Isn't it though? How many of the posts show the wonderful side of living in the US?
Load More Replies...I'm not American, but even I was dreading reading this because of the amount of these articles here on BP that completely mock the USA - it's disrespectful at this point. However, I'm glad this article showed both sides. For all the absolute crazies, there are more thoughtful, intelligent Americans standing up to them. If you must post articles showing up countries, make them like this one that shows both sides. EDIT: Both sides meaning I while I read about bad things, I also saw good people correcting them and standing up for what's right. For those who didn't understand.
What do you mean by both sides? Firstly. And secondly, no it didn’t. It shat on America all the way until the two fun posts at the bottom.
Load More Replies...BoredPanda staff, do you have absolutely nothing better to post that listicles constantly bashing the United States? It’s flat out sad and nasty. I’m not even from there, yet the constant nasty listicles like this are bordering on being flat out cruel. How would you like it if BoredPanda users constantly bashed your home country? Oh you wouldn’t? Then please stop with these lazy posts! This site has gotten so incredibly mean and negative anymore. You’re going to start losing a lot of readers.
I don’t like it either. We have so many problems in America but I still absolutely f*****g love it here. There’s so much awesome stuff about America that we could talk about. I could leave this place, nobody in my family lives here but me. But you’d have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming. America is fun, diverse, huge, difficult, beautiful, frustrating, charming, bland, all of those things. Highs and lows. There are definitely better places in some aspects, but not all aspects. There are worse places too. But I appreciate being able to live here. If my family wasn’t able to immigrate here just before I was born, I wouldn’t have this awesome and wonderful opportunity. We aren’t the land of freedom but we are do have chances here to be what we want to be. Many people don’t see it and many people have it hard enough to not really have many opportunities but for me, I’m so grateful and happy I’m an American.
Load More Replies...For people who insist we respect other cultures, some on Bored Panda certainly don't bother to even try. Merry Holiday to you, too, Bored Panda. (Yes, I'm being a little bitter, but for crying out loud. Peace on earth, goodwill anyone? Anyone? Bueller?)
Yeah, this was a really nasty and cruel listicle especially right around the holidays. Wishing you a very happy holiday Leo ❄️⛄️
Load More Replies...The first time or two I read a BP post bashing Americans I laughed. We are sometimes pretty lame. Definitely different than Europeans. But I have to say - I've had enough. It's sad that you feel like you have to constantly rehash the same thing over and over. I'm starting to think you do this to make yourself feel better about your own miserable life. Can't you be happy without bashing Americans all the time? Move on.
Thanks, it helps to know some European bystanders are stepping up. Especially around the holidays, when I was happy 5 minutes ago.
Load More Replies...Once again, the site that bills itself as celebrating art and creativity takes hateful aim at the US. BP has lost its way.
It’s really disturbing and quite sad. I’m originally from the UK and let me tell you that we have our fair share of problems as well. This site used to be about artwork and funny articles now it needlessly censors users, bans users for getting downvoted for different opinions, and has taken a really negative slant with their listicles. They have already lost a lot of readers. Hah hah, wish there was a way to report a post.
Load More Replies...Lithuanian authorities have detained thousands of migrants and refugees in militarised centres, where they are subjected to inhumane conditions and torture, according to a report Amnesty International.
Hey, let’s form a group. At the end of every bad American article, let’s make a comments thread for bashing Lithuania. See how they like it. So Lithuania, why are you buying so many drones if you can’t afford to help refugees? Heartless and selfish.
Load More Replies..."America Meets the Internet?" Strange title. Perhaps something like "Since we have nothing better to offer lets fall back on kicking the s**t out of America again." Sometimes it deserves it, sometimes not.
Even if it does deserves it, bashing isn’t nice anymore. Ignore the gov, what about the people? The people being insulted? 13 yr olds on BP who are so tired and just want a break and know how bad their country is?
Load More Replies...“The Court of Justice of the European Union confirmed the conclusions in a report on Lithuania, which details the authorities’ flagrant violation of European and international law by not only denying the right to asylum for irregular arrivals in the country, but also arbitrarily detaining them.”
Yes Richard,I realise everyone pays for Healthcare in some sense.I pay taxes but thankfully live I a country where operations,stoke care etc is all paid for,no magical health fairy here .But Noone should have to pay for anything medically ,when they have paid taxes for it already.
When commenters feel BP is anti American, I sometimes think they should lighten up. I read this after reading the thread about Ireland - I feel a bit like giving all our American pandas a big hug right now. This did seem overly mean. A massive amount of the posts could be aimed at any western country right now. Don't we all enjoy the threads that show a light hearted look at each others quirkyness? Let's have another PB tab for mean threads so they are easier to avoid. Big hugs to all my fellow pandas - from every country!
This made me really mad, but bright side I’ve spent about an hour here so it’s about time for me to get up. I don’t wanna, I wanna brew in my growing rage
The Dan Price Tweets need to be replaced wit the name Dan Rosenburg. Dan Price is being charged with sexual assault in Palm Springs and Seattle. His own ex-wife said he beat her. He is not a man to emulate. Dan Rosenburg should get the credit.
For some reason I had him and Dan Savage mixed up. I was like "wait a damn minute, that man's gay". I hadn't heard about those charges. Mad ducked.
Load More Replies...I went to college, though I wasn't able to finish my degree because I had to use my college fund for surgery. A Canadian I hardly know was so enraged on my behalf and I felt more cared about by this friend of a friend than my whole country combined.
You don’t have any American friends who cared about you?
Load More Replies...The American healthcare system may not be perfect, but I can't and won't complain. I just had surgery, medical necessity, that in the end would have cost me $33,313. I only paid $295, thanks to my health insurance and Medicare. Gripe all you want, I'm not about to turn my back on my country, and I don't see that other countries are anyplace I'd rather live. If those people who want to gripe and howl would go to those places they believe to be "perfect," then you'd be oing America a huge favor---you'd give the rest of us who love our nation a chance to get away from your ugly whining.
To all those saying this is US bashing....these are written BY Americans. THEY are venting because THEY are sick of the state of things in US.
Just wanted to do a shout out to the one they call Jesus on here. Thanks for making solid points and having me laugh throughout all the comments! You truly are the one.
I've read at least 10 references to "natural selection" and I'm not halfway through the list. You Euros must still be into eugenics. Much love to Eric Harris
There will always be folks poking fun at the US. Just like there's posts poking fun at other countries. Not everyone needs to get offended. There's a fair amount of truth here. Some of us understand there's issues, and despite some claiming the US is "the best country on Earth", most of us know there is no perfect place to live. Disrespectful? I suppose. But does it matter really what other people think? Not really I laughed at the stuff that was accurate, shrugged at the stuff that wasn't and said "that's your opinion", and moved on. As long as it's understood we're not ALL trumpers and gun nuts or whatever. Peace, and have a blessed day, however you celebrate this holiday season.
You find rude downright bullying funny? Oh go f**k off.
Load More Replies...But. Isn't it though? How many of the posts show the wonderful side of living in the US?
Load More Replies...