The Day Without Wikipedia meme stems from the anxiety and realization of how much modern society relies on the free encyclopedia for everyday information. While it often references the massive 2012 blackout protest against SOPA and PIPA legislation, the meme has evolved to describe any situation where people feel lost without instant access to facts. It is frequently used to mock students during research, highlight the sudden drop in human intelligence when servers go down, or depict a dystopian future where common knowledge is a thing of the past. The template typically contrasts a primitive or chaotic world with our current reality, serving as a humorous tribute to the internet's most essential resource.