The 2025 Doomsday Clock time is displayed after the time reveal. The Doomsday Clock, currently the … [+] nearest it has been to midnight at 89 seconds, is a symbol for how close humanity is to a “global catastrophe”. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

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It’s back and more ominous than ever: the Doomsday Clock has been moved one second further forward towards global catastrophe. This symbol of how close humanity is to destruction now reads 89 seconds to midnight, the shortest time it’s ever been.

And how did the internet react to this news? Well, with widespread mockery and memes, of course.

The reaction to the Doomsday Clock shows how social media upends the status quo, mocking old institutions, as well as its ability to reframe darkness into humor.

We’ll get there in time, but first, let’s find out precisely what’s going on.

What Is The Doomsday Clock?

The Doomsday Clock is a symbol of how close humanity is to the end of the world. It’s run by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS), a non-profit based in Chicago.

Each year, the group takes into account global events and changes how near to midnight the clock is.

The Doomsday Clock project began back in 1947 and was set at seven minutes to midnight. In 2024, it read 90 seconds to midnight, and, this year, it has been moved to 89 seconds, a new record.

“In setting the Clock one second closer to midnight, we send a stark signal,” a statement from BAS reads. It references the war in Ukraine, conflict in the middle East and climate changes as reasons why the Doomsday Clock is closer than ever to midnight, and the end of humanity. All incredibly serious issues.

The internet, though, doesn’t appear to have received this memo.

How Did The Internet React To The Doomsday Clock?

The response on social media has been one of widespread mockery and amusement. This has come in a variety of forms. Some created memes comparing the BAS to groups in popular culture, such as the Alliance of Magicians from Arrested Development:

Others joked about what would happen to the Doomsday Clock if catastrophe did actually strike:

While some accounts wondered about how the time on the clock is decided:

And some discussed the discrepancy between the time on the Doomsday Clock now and in the past:

Why Has The Internet Reacted This Way To The Doomsday Clock?

There are a few different things at play with social media’s response to the Doomsday Clock.

One, of course, is the questioning of an old institution. As the Doomsday Clock has been going since 1947, this is something that feels out of step with modern times, especially as it’s still printed on what appears to be a piece of cardboard.

For many, this gives the impression the BAS is out of touch, meaning it doesn’t actually reflect any sort of reality people online experience, thus leading to mockery.

But what about the very real message behind the Doomsday Clock? Despite how it may appear, the BAS is drawing attention to pressing problems, such as the rise of artificial intelligence and global conflicts, why is the online world mocking this?

One explanation is about how dark humor can help people cope in tough environments.

In research studying how people working in traumatic fields such as the medical industry handle stress, scientists found that dark humor “helps with coping,

creates a sense of group belonging, or benefits one’s physiological health.”

Of course, not everyone online has these types of crisis-focused roles, but the study does show that dark humor is used in times of pressure.

It’s hard to argue that the intensity of the modern world and relentlessness of the news cycle doesn’t impact people in some sense—and cracking jokes and making memes about this can help individuals cope.

This is what we’re seeing as part of the reaction to the Doomsday Clock. Yes, it’s a stressful time, but jokes can make it easier to deal with.

Ultimately, despite the Doomsday Clock attempting to highlight issues with the world, the internet respond with mockery and memes.

While there are explanations for this—ranging from its lack of objective measurements and how people use dark humor to cope with the stress—the key element is, in this day and age, the Doomsday Clock and social media are simply out of step with one another.