Content related to frogs and toads has been gaining popularity online lately, with platforms such as Tumblr and Reddit reporting an increase in frog-related searches and traffic on the platform. Even though they were once hateful and disgusting, people have grown to love frogs and are actively posting content about them.
Frog content has filled channels on all social networks, from Twitter to Tumblr, Instagram and TikTok and even Telegram
In the world of TikTok algorithms, which show you videos based on your preferences, getting into the so-called "frog bubble" would not be a surprise, but many platforms have confirmed to Business Insider that frog content is experiencing a renaissance of sorts.
In July, for example, an Instagram spokesperson said that one of the most popular profiles, "What Frog Are You," had garnered more than 180,000 followers just five days after its launch. Tumblr data shows an increase in interest in frog content across the platform over the past few months. In the Reddit r/frogs community, the number of posts from March 1 to May 1 more than doubled compared to the same time period in 2019. Google search data shows spikes in interest in frogs and memes on the topic. On Facebook, groups like "Frogspotting" have thousands of members. On Twitter, photos and videos of frogs can garner hundreds of thousands of likes. In TikTok, the account with the "toads of the day" (Russian) has almost 170,000 followers.
Content about frogs has become a relatively popular genre on the Internet, even if you don't count legendary frog memes and characters like Pepe the frog or Kermit the frog. Today, this kind of content tends to include photos of real frogs, cute illustrations, positivity and humor.
The recent surge in the obsession with frogs means that their role in meme culture has shifted to real amphibians. The answer to why people love them is simple: they're small, cute and give off a vibe.
Frogs have a legendary history in memes
This certainly isn't the first time frogs have been in the spotlight. In fact, they have quite an extensive history, appearing in some of the most common memes.
Pepe is one of the first memes with a frog. Appearing thanks to cartoonist Matt Fury, the frog has been one of the top memes of the online age, spreading throughout 4chan and, in turn, the internet since 2008. However, Pepe is far from the only famous frog on the internet - memes with Kermit have proven just as popular. Dat boi, a frog on a unicycle, is already more like modern frog content. The meme originated from Animation Factory, a site full of goofy animated GIFs, and became one of the most surreal frog memes, prompting many parodies.
Nowadays, content about frogs has changed
The platforms are now seeing a shift toward real images of frogs and a move away from shiatposting and memes. Maya, 20, who runs the frog-centric Instagram account @froggiefaerie, told Insider that her love of frogs came out of her childhood. According to the girl, you have to appreciate the little things in life:
I believe that every little creature deserves a chance at life and that life is beautiful. We talked about appreciating the little things because we don't get a lot of great joy ... I think frogs have become a way of doing that.
There are entire blogs from which frog lovers draw inspiration
Some authors and account owners point to frog blogs as a source of inspiration - such sites provide a source of content. Stickyfrogs, for example, which provides regular updates on the Melbourne Australian frog family. In the seven-plus years since Stickyfrogs' first public blog posts appeared in September 2012, Stickyfrogs has seen a big increase in followers: over 14,000 followers on Twitter, over 40,000 on Instagram, and over 5,600 subscribers on YouTube. What makes the Stickyfrogs blog unique is the affection fans have for frogs.
Ultimately, many people love frogs for simple reasons
Similar to the pure simplicity of "dat boi," loving a frog doesn't have to have a deeper meaning. According to fans, frogs are just cool. They're cute and provide an alternative to the pet content on the Internet. Drawing them is fun. That said, frogs don't need to do anything for people to like them and make memes featuring them.