Internet memes related to the COVID-19 pandemic as a potential coping mechanism for anxiety

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 22305 - 8
• Main Authors: Akram, Umair, Irvine, Kamila, Allen, Sarah F., Stevenson, Jodie C., Ellis, Jason G., Drabble, Jennifer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 12.11.2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/477/2811; 692/699/476/1300; Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adult; Anxiety; Anxiety - psychology; Anxiety Disorders - psychology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Emotional Regulation; Emotions; Female; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Internet; Male; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Pandemics; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Social Media; Young Adult
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00857-8

This study examined whether significantly anxious individuals differed from non-anxious individuals in their perceptual ratings of internet memes related to the Covid-19 pandemic, whilst considering the mediating role of emotion regulation. Eighty individuals presenting clinically significant anxiety symptoms (indicating ≥ 15 on the GAD-7) and 80 non-anxious controls (indicating ≤ 4) rated the emotional valance, humour, relatability, shareability, and offensiveness of 45 Covid-19 internet memes. A measure of emotion regulation difficulties was also completed. The perception of humour, relatability, and shareability were all greater amongst anxious individuals relative to non-anxious controls. These differences were not mediated by emotion regulation deficits. Internet memes related to the current Covid-19 pandemic may tentatively serve as coping mechanism for individuals experiencing severe symptoms of anxiety.