Memes help share ideas and they reflect the zeitgeist. You can see the pattern if you're older and experienced the birth of internet memes and over time they became more depressing, surreal, and self deprecating, reflecting the current socio-economic situation of many. During 2020 - 2023, the memes were quite surreal and making commentary about one in a life time events happening many times, shits on fire, economic inequity and more. Millenials and zoomers are depressed they can't afford a house.

Now imagine you are someone who has a masters degree and can't find a decent paying job because the marking is fucked. You want to purchase a house and you just can't. You now see a meme reflecting those ideas and you feel a form of solidarity. You get emboldened by those ideas.

I think, the current wave of unionization and striking partly contributed by these memes. They shared a spotlight on the inequities of the world and got people worked up. You can also see the "power" of the Dark Brandon memes, oh, and Donald fucking Trump became a serious candidate and elected because of memes.