Linguistic Humor in Memes to Mitigate Post Covid-19 Severity

Abstract

This paper aims at exploring how the use of humor in memes can serve as a relief therapy in the face of the grave situation of the post-COVID-19 world. The conceptual frameworkor this study is drawn from Sultanoff (1994) theory of humor. He believes in the relieving effect of humor on humans’ psyche. Content analysis was used as a research method to analyze twelve memes shared at WhatsApp, an electronic, social media app for swift human interaction. The study demonstrates that humor is essentially the creative spirit of life that carries on despite hardships. It enables humanity to laugh in order not to cry. The linguistic humor in memes created in the context of the Pandemic Covid-19 serves as a tool to release stress, provide relief and create a sense of well-being.