The 'XD' emoticon is one of the most recognizable symbols of early 2000s internet culture, acting as a horizontal representation of a face laughing with squinted eyes. The 'X' represents eyes closed tight in laughter, while the 'D' signifies a wide, joyful mouth. Gaining massive popularity on platforms like MSN Messenger, early YouTube, and gaming forums, it eventually became synonymous with 'random' humor and the 'scene' subculture. While its usage has evolved with the rise of modern emojis, it remains a nostalgic powerhouse in meme culture, often used today to evoke a specific sense of Millennial and Gen Z digital history or as a self-aware, ironic reaction.