A new meme format is calling out the inventions that keep us from enjoying the overwhelming beauty of nature. The meme sees users posting photos of beautiful landscapes alongside captions like, "Humans saw this and invented Excel," and it's taking over TikTok and X / Twitter right now.

But where did the "Humans Saw This and Invented X" meme come from and what exactly is it trying to say? Here's what you need to know.

What Is The 'Humans Saw This And Invented Excel' Meme?

In late August 2024, TikTokers began using the song "Intro" by Black Country, New Road as the backing track for a now-viral meme format. The meme has users post videos or images of a beautiful landscape or location underneath captions like, "Humans saw this and invented email" or "Humans saw this and invented capitalism."

So what are these memes attempting to suggest or make commentary on?

Essentially, the memes pair the beautiful scenery with a caption referencing something that might keep someone from fully enjoying nature. This includes things like workplace applications, like Microsoft Excel, which some people spend hours working in to make a living rather than going on trips and enjoying the beauty of life.

The memes question how someone could see such beauty and still invent such an oppressive tool that keeps people from fully embracing life's beauty and the wonders of Mother Nature.

@travelyourtwenties #travel #traveltiktok ♬ Intro – Black Country, New Road

How Is 'Humans Saw This And Invented' Used In Memes?

Since late August 2024, the meme has continued to go viral on TikTok. It's also spread to X, where it follows the same basic format, albeit without the music and with still images rather than videos.

The memes use a phrasal template format that generally follows the setup, "Humans saw this and invented X," where "X" is replaced with any given tool or invention that might distract people from nature.

@lillylovestheocean i hate calculus #travel #nature #sky ♬ Intro – Black Country, New Road

@omgotium had to disable the comment section because of capitalism stans #fyp ♬ Intro – Black Country, New Road

@lilli.kayy life is worth more #nature #aestheticlife #lifeisbeautiful #lifeisgood #relatable #foru #explorepage✨ #viraltiktok #natureaesthetic ♬ Intro – Black Country, New Road

@vagabond_bucketlist

negative aura

♬ Intro – Black Country, New Road

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For the full history of the Humans Saw This and Invented Excel meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.