The Cochlear Implant Activation meme stems from the popular genre of viral videos where individuals, often children or infants, experience sound for the first time through medical technology. While originally wholesome and emotional, internet culture repurposed these clips into a 'bait-and-switch' format. Users typically replace the actual audio of the video with high-octane memes, aggressive heavy metal, or absurd sounds, suggesting that the person's first auditory experience is something chaotic. It serves as a commentary on the sensory overload of modern internet culture and the absurdity of the 'first thing' someone might hear in the digital age.