The Oculus Rift meme generally revolves around the juxtaposition of the immersive, often epic virtual experience the user is having versus the clumsy, awkward reality observed by people in the same room. As virtual reality moved from science fiction to a consumer product, photos of people wearing the bulky Rift headset became a symbol for being 'lost' in technology. It is frequently used to mock the Metaverse, highlight gaming addiction, or show the 'expectation vs. reality' of futuristic tech. The template gained massive popularity as VR became more mainstream, serving as the go-to visual for any joke involving a digital escape from a mundane or chaotic physical environment.