The 'Popping Popcorn with Cellphones' meme originates from a series of viral videos released in 2008 that appeared to show kernels of popcorn popping due to the concentrated radiation emitted by several ringing mobile phones. While the footage was eventually revealed as a clever marketing stunt by the Bluetooth company Cardo Systems—using hidden heating elements under the table—it became one of the internet's first massive tech-related hoaxes. In meme culture, the image is frequently used to symbolize 'explosive' situations where small inputs from many sources (like notifications or opinions) lead to a sudden, chaotic outcome. It captures the nostalgic anxiety of the early smartphone era and the power of collective digital energy.