The boing is one of the oldest cartoon sound effects, created with instruments like the jew's harp and later with spring reverbs and pitch-bent recordings for early animation. It became a staple of slapstick in theatrical shorts and television cartoons through the mid 20th century, where animators used it for springs, diving boards and elastic gags. As those cartoons moved online, the effect was clipped and shared as a standalone meme sound, and it remains common in short videos, games and edits whenever a bounce needs an exaggerated audio cue.