Where 'For Example Nothing' Appeared First: the Screenshots and Clips
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
The transition of the phrase from technical artifact to widely used conversational shorthand followed clear chronological phases across online platforms.
| Timeframe | Primary Phenomenon | Digital Footprint & Format |
|---|---|---|
| 2012, 2014 | Metadata indexing of Example's "Say Nothing" | UK chart archives, database scrapers, early YouTube uploads |
| 2017, 2019 | Classroom speech-to-text transcript errors | Reddit r/softwaregore, Twitter screen grabs, lecture hall phone clips |
| 2020, 2022 | Remote work presentation fails and slideshow parodies | Zoom screen captures, TikTok reaction stitches, Discord soundboards |
| 2023, 2026 | Codified internet idiom for bad-faith arguments | Quote tweets, reaction GIFs, deadpan forum replies across web communities |
Between 2020 and 2022, corporate slide decks accelerated this spread. During the height of video conferencing, presenters frequently encountered empty templates where someone forgot to populate a placeholder bullet point. Slides featuring a bold header reading "Case Study" followed by a single line stating "For example: nothing" moved rapidly through Twitter and corporate satire accounts on LinkedIn. The image functioned as a visceral summary of professional exhaustion.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
