The phrase turn out the lights has long been used in everyday speech to mean ending the day or closing a place down, which is why the clip reads instantly online. As a short soundboard sound it is shared for reaction edits, stream endings and night time jokes, where a familiar line does the work of a full explanation. Its appeal is its flexibility, shifting from cosy bedtime humour to a dramatic final moment depending on the images, captions and timing placed around it in a post.