MEME REFERENCE

Straining kid

Use when a simple task, decision, or act of self-control requires visibly disproportionate effort.

What it expresses

Minor resistance is portrayed as an exhausting full-body struggle.

Example

You try not to correct a harmless typo in a casual group chat and send this to show the effort of staying silent.

When not to use it

A genuinely strenuous emergency rescue demands major exertion; the humor depends on effort being excessive for the task.

• straining
• extreme effort
• simple task
• trying hard