Regresar

Memes distribution during COVID-19 third wave

Abstract:

In 2020, the COVID-19 worldwide health crisis began accompanied by a wide dissemination of news, fake news and comedy content related with different aspects of the event. This research analyzes the proliferation of memes and funny publications with political content during the third wave of the pandemic. Starting hypothesis is that this type of content is a reflection of current events and materializes social criticism. Th Throught a quantitative and content analysis of the main accounts, it have been selected memes and publications of remarkable profiles of Twitter and Instagram users. This information has been coded according to their design, discourse and distribution, with the intention of identifying the publications about pandemic of this type with the greatest reach and with the highest engagement rate. In conclusion, it can be affirmed that memes and humorous contents constitute an release valve for citizens in the face of mediatized crises and catalyze emotions, providing a sense of community, expressed through a common and universal language.