Whether between friends or lovers, sending memes has become not only a way of sharing a joke during coffee breaks, but also a way of showing affection. In the jargon of the dating world, this is known as “pebbling”.

This trending term is inspired by the ritual performed by certain species of penguins, where one bird gives small pebbles to another as a way to woo them, make their relationship official, or build their love nest.

For humans, these “pebbles” take the form of sending memes, photos, videos, articles, social media posts – anything that has meaning, or can serve as a conversation starter or continuer – to someone you are interested in or care about.

According to experts, “pebbling” is an excellent way of strengthening ties. “It can be a really good way of building banter and a connection with a partner. It doesn’t always have to be physical stuff – it’s meme culture,” relationship expert Gigi Engle told Metro UK.

As such, it seems like digital communication seems to have earned itself a place among more traditional ways of expressing love, like flattery and compliments, quality moments, gifts, services rendered, and physical contact.

Of course, pebbling alone is not likely to be enough to forge real connections: you will eventually have to progress to more involved interactions if you wish to be more than just meme friends.