What is the ‘Humans saw this’ meme on TikTok? Viral trend explained

TikTok has birthed yet another trend, and this time it’s a meme that has people marveling over society… and not in a good way.

New memes are always popping up on TikTok, the social media platform regularly captivated by viral trends that users dive to partake in.

From the ‘Symphony’ dolphin to the ‘fully conscious baby’ meme, TikTokers love the chance to flex and exercise their comedy muscles. And now, they have another chance.

The ‘Humans saw this’ meme is the latest trend, taking off in August 2024, and serves as a way for social media users to criticize society and the wastefulness of human existence. Here’s how it works.

What is TikTok’s ‘Humans saw this’ meme?

The meme involves users sharing footage of wonderous natural landscapes, from waterfalls to oceans to mountain ranges and much, much more.

Text overlay then reads “Humans saw this and invented…”, followed by an aspect of society that the user deems a disservice to the art of living and all the world has to offer.

Some viral examples include a 9-5 workday, salesforce, taxes, school, exams, nepotism, and capitalism. However, there are many, many more.

The meme is an opportunity for users to express their gripes with modern society and challenge expectations surrounding what in life is actually important. Witnessing nature’s wonders, or working a 40-hour work week?

While the music used in the background can vary, the most common choice is Black Country, New Road’s ‘Intro’. There are already over 18,000 videos under the sound on TikTok, many of which have received well over a million views and likes.

“No like seriously, why can’t we just have our simple silly little lives anymore?” one user commented, summing up the mindset of those contributing to the trend.

“I wish we could make duality between land [and] cities,” another quipped, before adding how they wished society reflected Netflix’s Arcane with “magic, nature, [and] buildings” (same, TikTok user, same).