Internet culture is a core part of today’s generation and constantly changes to keep up with modern trends. Very rarely does a single trend or meme last on the internet or stay relevant for a long period of time due to the constant changing of interests. But in 2024 we saw something the internet has never seen: the birth of the infamous, “Imagine if Ninja got a low taper fade,” or simply just the “Low taper fade,” meme. But truly what does this say about our generation, as this simple concept of the Low taper fade so strongly captivated the lives of many in our generation, turning into a giant internet icon that we all praised?
In early 2024 a viral song on TikTok called, “Imagine if Ninja Got a Low Taper Fade,” surfaced and was a hit on the platform. It was such a hit that it reached the eyes of the popular streamer Ninja, known for his Twitch streaming and Fortnite gameplay. Ninja saw this video and started to play along, singing the song himself, talking about the song to his viewers, and even teasing about getting the low taper fade haircut.
This teasing turned into reality when Ninja did in fact get the low taper fade haircut, bringing much more attention and attraction to the meme for a longer period of time. Like every other internet trend, the low-taper fade meme soon started fading away.
Until, that is, when Ninja, who still loved the meme and the attention that came from it, started talking about how, “crazy,” it is that the meme is still, “massive.” These words he used- crazy, massive, and imagine- all soon became buzzwords about the meme, and anytime people heard these words, they would think about the low taper fade meme and sing the song about it that simply goes, “Imagine if Ninja got a low taper fade.”
This is what makes the meme so huge, as it was revived by a community and was made bigger than it ever was, and due to Ninja and his community dragging the meme, it was able to stay relevant for months until the end of 2024, continuing into the beginning of 2025.
Since it was dragged, repeated, and kept relevant for so long, it shows how the internet community is close and speaks for our generation on our interests and what makes our culture what it is. But truly what does this show about our generation, as we take these internet things and memes and trends that really have no important meaning whatsoever, and make them into cultural icons and part of our everyday life? And I think that that speaks to how our generation is not as serious, or intellectual as the past, as yes it is just merely entertainment, but it is so pointless and meaningless it makes no sense at all as to why anyone would in theory find it interesting. But it also doesn’t put away the fact that these things bring us together, make us laugh, and entertain us—and bonding over these core things to share with peers brings us close together, and gives us something to bond over.
