Introduction

The Skipping Steps Template is a popular meme format that humorously illustrates the tendency to bypass stages in life, depicted through a young boy stretching his legs over a set of stairs.

Background

This meme features a boy labeled as a specific character or stereotype, with a staircase representing different stages in a journey. The boy's action of stretching over the steps symbolizes a desire to skip directly to the final goal, often reflecting societal stereotypes about various groups.

Meme History

The first known instance of the Skipping Steps meme originated on March 23, 2019, when it was shared on the subreddit /r/dankchristianmemes.

Internet Reaction

On April 3, 2019, Imgur user SarahsAnxiety posted a version of the meme, labeling the boy as 'Guys in the military' and the stairs as steps between 'seeing a girl' and 'marriage.' This post gained significant traction, amassing over 2,300 points and 100,000 views. The following day, it appeared on /r/military, earning over 940 points, and on April 8, it was featured on /r/funny, where it received over 10,000 points. The meme continued to spread, with variations appearing on various subreddits, including /r/MemeTemplatesOfficial and /r/MemeEconomy.