Social Distancing in a World of Memes
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abstract
This eBook presents the finding from a creative research study conducted between March-July 2020 on the theme of social distancing during the COVID-19 global pandemic. The book explores the messages internet memes that circulated widely online, communicated about the practice of social distancing. Many people were introduced to the concept of social distancing for the first time in March 2020, as a health and safety strategy for combating the spread of the Corona virus. The project argues internet memes played an important role in helping people understand and adjust to the behavioral changes this practice required. As a form of visual-textual digital communication that is focused on humor, internet memes also became important tool for helping people making sense of this time of anxiety and uncertainty. Through meme images and summary reports this eBook unpack the core stories popular internet memes told about social distancing, and the potential implications of these narratives in the culture of the pandemic.
