The 'Squidward Crushed by Spike Rollers' meme is taken from the SpongeBob SquarePants episode 'Can You Spare a Dime?', where Squidward is shown working a miserable job and getting flattened by industrial machinery. The image, often paired with the existential question 'What is the purpose of this machine?', resonates deeply with internet users as a metaphor for the 'meat grinder' of modern capitalism, academic pressure, or any overwhelming life situation. It serves as a visual shorthand for feeling powerless against a system that seems designed solely to flatten one's spirit. Since its rise in popularity, it has become a go-to template for expressing burnout and the absurdity of difficult, repetitive tasks.