I think it’s a lot more because the internet was a niche. It’s something your parents/family or weird creepy uncle wasn’t on. All these old memes still feel “untouched” by facebook and it feels like an in-joke. In other words memes felt more special.
4chan was onto something, once memes became mainstream they died… a little hyperbolic but they do lose their fun factor being more popular now.
Natural, healthy, positive growth! Not growth for growths sake