Ah, the GIF (which I’ve been told is pronounced like “jiff,” but I’ve decided I will forever pronounce like “gift” without the “t.”)

For those who haven’t been on the Internet for several months, a GIF is a short, looped clip accompanied by a snappy bit of dialogue, in response to some situation. Think of it as a moving cross between a meme and demotivational poster. Tumblr is a breeding ground for GIFs, and MU isn’t exempt from the fad.

The Tumblr page Whatshouldmizzoucallme is run by an anonymous MU student and at 347,588 views, it’s pretty clear that we’re all obsessed with GIFs. But why?

It could just be that GIFs are funny. Sometimes, seeing Spongebob smiling with “She wants the D” underneath can just brighten your day.

Seeing favorite clips and lines from beloved movies taken completely out of context to explain how you feel when you’re trying to drive down Rollins at noon or trying to run to Plaza between classes, only to find a line snaked out the door often leads to hilarity. But neither the clip nor the situation is really what is making you laugh. It’s actually something much more human than that: it’s that moment when you are able to connect to the GIF creator.

Now this may sound like crazy talk, but hear me out. How many GIFs have you laughed at because you thought something along the lines of “Oh my gosh, that’s so true!”? It’s the same reason we love first world problems and rage comics: we can relate to them. There’s just this automatic kinship that forms when you find out that someone else does the same weird (or in some cases, not so weird,) thing that you do. It’s like seeing a stranger wearing a shirt advertising a lesser-known band that you like. BAM! Instant friends!

So next time you laugh at a GIF of Regina George telling Karen how stupid she is accompanying a phrase like “When your friend asks if you want to meet at Plaza at noon,” remember why it’s funny and reblog away!