What is We Live In a Society Social Media Reactions?

A comparison image format where a popular subject appears with fake high social media reactions next to a complex or underappreciated one with zero reactions, captioned 'We live in a society'.

Where did We Live In a Society Social Media Reactions come from?

Twitter user @660th posted the earliest known example on May 12, 2018, a Mickey Mouse versus detailed mouse comparison that drew more than 67,000 likes in four days.

What does We Live In a Society Social Media Reactions mean?

Each post argues that popular taste rewards shallow or commercial subjects while ignoring more difficult or impressive ones, with the caption taken from a 1991 Seinfeld line about civilized behavior.

How do you use We Live In a Society Social Media Reactions?

People stack two images, layer photoshopped Instagram or Twitter reaction indicators above them showing heavy engagement for the popular pick and zeros for the other, and caption the result 'We live in a society'.

Is We Live In a Society Social Media Reactions still popular?

The format peaked in May 2018 with coverage from The Daily Dot and viral tweets about God of War and Emma Stone, with no major recent resurgence documented.

We Live In a Society Social Media Reactions

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Published November 9, 2026

We Live In a Society Social Media Reactions is a 2018 comparison image format pairing a popular subject under heavy photoshopped likes with a complex or overlooked one getting zero reactions, captioned 'We live in a society.' Twitter user @660th introduced it on May 12, 2018 with Mickey Mouse versus a detailed mouse illustration, which drew more than 67,000 likes in four days. Within the next week, versions targeted BTS, Emma Stone against Natalie Portman, and God of War against the indie game Shower With Your Dad Simulator.

two panel memes catchphrase memes photoshop memes social media culture memes 2018 memes

Overview

Each post in the format stacks two images with photoshopped Instagram or Twitter reaction overlays above them1. The popular subject sits under cascading like counts, retweet numbers and reply bubbles, while the underappreciated subject below shows zero engagement everywhere. Beneath them, the caption reads 'We live in a society,' a line borrowed from a 1991 Seinfeld episode where George Costanza complains about payphone etiquette3.

Embedded in every variant is a complaint that mass taste favors the simple or commercial over the skilled or obscure. Subjects range across pop stars, actresses, video games and visual art1. This format is distinct from the 'We Live In a Society' catchphrase attached to Gamer Joker memes, which uses the same Seinfeld line for a different joke3.

Gallery

Origin & Background

Platform

Twitter

Creator

@660th

Date

2018

Twitter user @660th posted the earliest known version on May 12, 2018, placing Mickey Mouse under positive social media reactions next to a detailed illustration of a real mouse that received none2. The tweet, captioned 'We live in a society,' gathered more than 23,000 retweets and 67,000 likes within four days3.

A related visual precedent appeared in 2014, when Vancouver street artist iHeart installed 'Nobody Likes Me' in Stanley Park, showing a crying child beneath zero-count social reaction bubbles6. The Seinfeld line itself aired on May 23, 1991 in the episode 'The Chinese Restaurant,' where Costanza loses his place at a payphone and yells about civilized behavior3.

How It Spread

Over the three days after @660th's tweet, Twitter users adopted the template across pop culture subjects1. On May 14, 2018, @jkooksana posted a BTS variant earning more than 20 retweets and 65 likes in two days7. The following day, @bonerman_inc paired God of War against the indie game Shower With Your Dad Simulator, gathering more than 390 retweets and 2,800 likes within 24 hours4.

Also on May 15, @prasejeebus tweeted a comparison putting Emma Stone against Natalie Portman, tallying more than 75 retweets and 660 likes within a day5. The Daily Dot ran a writeup on May 16, 2018 covering the format and tracing its visual lineage to iHeart's 2014 Stanley Park installation1.

Timeline

1991-05-23

Seinfeld airs 'The Chinese Restaurant,' where George Costanza yells the 'we're living in a society' line that later supplies the meme caption.

2014

Vancouver street artist iHeart installs 'Nobody Likes Me' in Stanley Park, picturing a crying child under zero-count social reaction bubbles.

2018-05-12

Twitter user @660th posts the Mickey Mouse versus detailed mouse comparison, the earliest known use of the format.

2018-05-14

@jkooksana posts a BTS-themed variant.

2018-05-15

@bonerman_inc posts a God of War versus Shower With Your Dad Simulator version; @prasejeebus posts an Emma Stone versus Natalie Portman version.

2018-05-16

The Daily Dot publishes an explainer on the format.

How to Use This Meme

To make a version, creators typically stack two images vertically or side by side with photoshopped social reaction overlays above each. One image shows a mainstream subject under heavy likes, replies and retweets. Below it, a more skilled or obscure subject appears with every reaction counter at zero, captioned 'We live in a society.'