# Doomer > Doomer is a 2018 Wojak character of a nihilistic, chain-smoking young man in a black hoodie who believes the world is beyond saving. Doomer is a Wojak-derived character depicting a depressed, nihilistic young man in a black beanie and hoodie, cigarette in hand, who believes the world is beyond saving. First posted to 4chan's /biz/ board in September 2018[3], the character quickly spread across boards and platforms as a shorthand for existential despair, spawning a female counterpart (Doomer Girl), an entire music microgenre (doomer wave), and mainstream media attention from outlets like The Atlantic and The New Yorker[4]. ## Origin On September 16, 2018, an anonymous user posted the Doomer character to 4chan's /biz/ (business) board[3]. The image depicted a 23-year-old male described as deeply depressed, with "no hope of career advancement," who was also an alcoholic at "high risk" for opioid addiction[3]. The character was drawn in the simple Wojak style but distinguished by the black beanie, hoodie, and cigarette that would become its signature look. The term "doomer" itself predates the meme by about a decade. It appeared as early as 2008 in internet peak oil communities, where forum members debated societal collapse scenarios related to resource depletion[4]. Canadian self-identified doomer Paul Chefurka ran a website encouraging readers to prepare for civilizational breakdown by modifying their homes and reconsidering having children[4]. But the word didn't reach mainstream internet culture until the 2018 Wojak version gave it a face. - **Platform:** 4chan /biz/ - **Creator:** Anonymous 4chan user (original character post) - **Date:** 2018 ## Overview The Doomer is a Wojak variant showing a gaunt young man, typically in his early-to-mid 20s, wearing a black beanie and dark hoodie with heavy bags under his eyes[3]. He's almost always drawn with a lit cigarette. The character represents a specific type of internet pessimism: someone who has given up on career advancement, romantic relationships, and the future of civilization in general[5]. Unlike the angry or resentful incel archetype, the Doomer is defined by quiet resignation. He drinks, smokes, takes late-night walks alone, and listens to post-punk and slowcore[5]. The character sits within the broader "-oomer" Wojak family, which includes the 30 Year-Old Boomer, the Zoomer, and the Bloomer[4]. Each represents a different generational or psychological archetype, but the Doomer carved out a particularly strong following because it tapped into real anxieties about climate change, economic stagnation, and mental health decline among millennials and Gen Z[2]. ## How It Spread The character moved fast across 4chan. Within two hours of the /biz/ post, it appeared on /x/ (paranormal board)[3]. The next day, September 17, it hit /r9k/, where another user paired Doomer traits with a screenshot of Ryan Gosling from Blade Runner 2049[3]. That same day, variations began appearing on /pol/, some with anti-semitic elements[3]. The /pol/ threads became part of a broader pattern of 4chan users adopting the Doomer meme to discuss their own depression and mental health struggles openly, using the character as a proxy for genuine feelings[3]. On November 19, 2018, another anonymous user introduced "The 24 Year Old Go-Getter," a character who had moved past the Doomer phase[3]. This figure shared traits with the Bloomer, the optimistic counterpart in the -oomer universe. By 2019, the Doomer had spread well beyond 4chan. Jonathan Franzen's New Yorker essay "What if We Stopped Pretending?" used the doom framing that resonated with online Doomer communities, and the piece became popular in Facebook groups like Near Term Human Extinction Support Group[4]. The term started appearing in mainstream commentary about climate pessimism. In early January 2020, a female version called the Doomer Girl (or Doomerette) appeared[3]. She had black hair, dark eyes, a black sweatshirt, and a choker. The character gained traction on Facebook and Twitter, often shown interacting with the original male Doomer or the Trad Girl[3]. The Atlantic described her as "a quickly sketched cartoon woman with black hair, black clothes, and sad eyes ringed with red makeup"[4]. The COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 boosted the Doomer archetype significantly. "Doomer"-themed playlists featuring the Wojak character alongside slowed-down post-punk and rock tracks surged on YouTube[4]. Belarusian post-punk band Molchat Doma became the unofficial soundtrack of doomer culture after being tagged as "Russian doomer music" in viral playlists and memes[4]. ## How to Use The Doomer is typically used in one of several ways: **Character identification:** Post the Doomer Wojak with a caption describing a relatable depressive or nihilistic behavior. Common examples: staying up until 4 AM, taking walks alone at 2 AM, only eating once a day, watching the news and feeling nothing. The humor comes from the specificity of the behavior and the recognition factor. **-Oomer comparison charts:** Place the Doomer alongside other Wojak archetypes (Boomer, Zoomer, Bloomer, Coomer) in a multi-panel comparison showing how each type handles the same situation differently. **Doomer Girl interactions:** Pair the male and female Doomer characters in conversation or interaction memes. These often play on the idea of two depressed people finding brief connection. **Doomer playlists:** Create a YouTube or Spotify playlist of moody post-punk, slowcore, or ambient music, paired with the Doomer Wojak image as the cover. Slowed-down edits of existing tracks are common. The tone is usually self-deprecating rather than aggressive. Doomer memes punch inward, not outward. ## Cultural Impact The Doomer crossed over from meme culture into mainstream media discourse in several waves. Jonathan Franzen's 2019 New Yorker essay on climate defeatism brought "doomer" into broader vocabulary, though Franzen didn't reference the meme directly[4]. The essay was widely shared in online doomer communities, creating a feedback loop between highbrow journalism and internet culture. Academic and scientific communities engaged with doomerism as a concept. Jem Bendell's "Deep Adaptation" paper became a flashpoint: downloaded half a million times, it sparked responses from climate scientists who worried that doom framing would paralyze rather than motivate[4]. An essay published on OpenDemocracy argued the paper "relies heavily on misinterpreted climate science"[4]. The meme also opened conversation about male mental health online. The r/doomer subreddit and similar communities served as informal support spaces where young men discussed depression, addiction, and alienation in ways they might not in other contexts[1]. The Doomer gave people a low-stakes vocabulary for serious feelings. Urban Dictionary entries for the Doomer tracked how the word's meaning shifted over time. Early definitions focused on peak oil survivalism, while later ones described a specific internet personality type defined by night walks, Radiohead, and resigned despair[5]. ## Fun Facts - The original Doomer was specifically described as 23 years old with "no hope of career advancement" and a "high risk" for opioid addiction[3]. - Ryan Gosling's character from Blade Runner 2049 became an unofficial secondary face of the Doomer archetype after a /r9k/ user paired the two on September 17, 2018[3]. - U.S. Army Ranger Chris Lisle, an early 2000s doomer, advised fellow pessimists to "adopt a positive attitude" because "hard times don't last, hard people do"[4]. - The Doomer character appeared just months after the 30 Year-Old Boomer Wojak, part of a rapid expansion of the -oomer character family on 4chan in 2018[4]. - Pitchfork's Cat Zhang compared doomer wave music to a "nighttime counterpart" of mallwave, calling it a "eulogy to the lost promise of suburban idyll"[4]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Doomer? Doomer is a Wojak-derived meme character depicting a depressed young man in a black beanie and hoodie who has a bleak, nihilistic outlook on life and the world[3]. ### Where did Doomer come from? The character was first posted to 4chan's /biz/ board on September 16, 2018, by an anonymous user[3]. The word "doomer" itself dates back to 2008 peak oil forums[4]. ### What does Doomer mean? A doomer is someone who believes society is on an irreversible downward spiral, often linked to real concerns like climate change and economic stagnation, but taken to an extreme of total hopelessness[1][2]. ### How do you use the Doomer meme? Pair the Doomer Wojak with relatable descriptions of pessimistic or depressive behaviors, place him in -oomer comparison charts, or use the character as a playlist cover for moody post-punk music[2]. ### Is Doomer still popular? The meme peaked between 2018 and 2021, with the COVID-19 lockdowns boosting doomer playlists on YouTube. The character is still recognized and used, but at lower frequency than its peak years[4]. ### Who is Doomer Girl? Doomer Girl is a female variant created in early January 2020, featuring black hair, dark eyes, and a choker. She gained popularity on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr[3][4]. ### What is doomer music? Doomer wave is a music microgenre featuring slowed-down post-punk and ambient tracks, inspired by vaporwave production. Molchat Doma became its most recognized associated band[4]. ### What is the difference between a Doomer and a Bloomer? The Bloomer is the Doomer's optimistic counterpart. Where the Doomer sees no hope, the Bloomer has moved past despair and found meaning. The Go-Getter variant, posted November 19, 2018, bridged the two[3]. ### What is a climate doomer? A climate doomer specifically focuses on ecological collapse as the source of their despair. Jem Bendell's "Deep Adaptation" paper became a key text for this community, though scientists like Michael Mann criticized its framing[4]. ### How did the Doomer spread beyond 4chan? The character moved from /biz/ to /x/, /r9k/, and /pol/ within days of its creation[3]. It then reached Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter, with mainstream media coverage from The Atlantic and The New Yorker accelerating its spread[4]. ### Is Doomer related to the incel community? While there's overlap in online spaces, Urban Dictionary entries distinguish the Doomer from the incel by noting that the Doomer accepts loneliness without projecting resentment outward[5]. The Doomer listens to Radiohead on evening walks instead of blaming others[5]. ### What boards did Doomer first appear on? The character was posted to /biz/ first, then /x/ two hours later, then /r9k/ and /pol/ the next day (September 17, 2018)[3]. ## References 1. [Doomer - What is a doomer?]() 2. [What Is a Doomer?]() 3. [Doomer - Know Your Meme]() 4. [Doomer]() 5. [Doomer - Urban Dictionary]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/doomer Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library