Rising U.S. Gas Prices Inspire Meme Reactions From Creators Coping With Their Dented Bank Accounts

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues in Europe, the cost of gasoline in the United States and the rest of the Western world are rising due to sanctions levied against Russia. Coinciding with this rise in expenses, numerous memes are being made regarding soaring gas prices.

According to Reuters, oil prices in the U.S. are at their highest level in 14 years. This week, global oil futures hit $139 a barrel, being a symptom of Russia's influence over the market as the world's No. 2 oil exporter. Since President Joe Biden and other Western world leaders like U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson have issued sanctions on the country, no one is letting Russian oil ships into their country for trade, and an impending ban on the country's oil is currently in the works.

Americans and Europeans have not only been hearing about the development but also seeing it at their local gas stations, where gas prices in some states have gone up by 47 percent compared to a year ago — now topping over $4 or even $7 in some states like California. Due to the visibility of this crisis, memes are being made en masse across platforms like Reddit and Twitter, and they're proving to be universal enough for mass engagement.

Reactions and other skits regarding the steep price at the pump have also been sweeping platforms like TikTok in recent days, where users are expressing their woes in droves.

Inherently, many people are blaming U.S. President Joe Biden for the increase in gas prices. Others are optimistic about it, seeing a silver lining regarding a possible global shift towards renewable energy. Overall though, many citizens appear to simply not know what to do about it and are having a hard time understanding how the product stays the same while its price increases. Many feel helpless, reiterating that no matter the price, they still need to buy Russia's gas.