Meme-weary internet gives collective shrug to ‘Vadering’ photos

This isn't the meme you're looking for. But it's happening anyway.

There appears to be a new trend rising up from the dark corners of the Internet, inspired by the Star Wars character Darth Vader's penchant for choking people using invisible force.

It's called Vadering and it's coming to a social media feed near you.

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YouTube videos of the trend show a series of images, often altered to show the choking victim suspended in mid-air, neck grasped, while someone holds out a hand, pretending to inflict the pain.

In the more amusing instances, one person pretends to choke several victims at a time or absently lifts an arm while doing something else, like holding a coffee cup.

Vadering is more effective if you don't smile while you're supposed to be suffocating in agonizing pain.

Some users on the social media website Reddit have already rejected the meme, posting that the original Vadering photo contains a prominently displayed Chick-Fil-A logo and it could be an attempt at viral marketing.

Still, others have caught on and fake stranglings are gripping the Internet.

A somewhat more disturbing would-be trend — from a health and safety perspective — has also emerged from Canada this week, after a video entitled "Hallway Swimming" went viral.

The student in the video bounds back and forth between lockers, sliding on the hallway floor.

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Some users online suggested other students might catch on to the idea.