Short onomatopoeic effects named for the noise they make have circulated on soundboards for years, and spong has become a go-to example of that format online. The clip is shared as a standalone meme sound rather than as part of a longer track, which helps it travel across edits, chats and short videos. Its appeal comes from how recognisable the springy hit is in under a second, so audiences get the joke even on mute-off replays or rapid montages where longer effects would get lost in the mix entirely today.