The author falls into the trap of viewing the internet as the same monolith they were used to when they were younger. In fact it was a mass of subcultures back

The author falls into the trap of viewing the internet as the same monolith they were used to when they were younger. In fact it was a mass of subcultures back then as it is now, just far larger and more varied now. They had tunnel vision then when they found the memes they readily interacted with funny, and now, older, more cynical, in a smaller subculture, they find the vocal minorities of the million other subcultures, that are easier than ever to be exposed to, more annoying. Part of it is that they're older, part of it is that the different generations find different things funny, part of it is that younger people who haven't seen the old jokes DO find them funny all over again, part of it is not realising that a popular community on the web making a new popular meme =/= universal hilarity. They're being shortsighted and grouchy, like humans are prone to do as they age because they expected norms to remain static, and can't see the bigger picture. There are still plenty of subjectively funny memes out there for the author, more than there ever were in fact. They're just getting hung up on everything else because it's a way to gain prestige amongst like-minded grouches.