“We decided we don't want children. We will let them know tonight”: Parental humor on social media in a time of Coronavirus pandemic

Dafna Lemish; Nelly Elias

“We decided we don't want children. We will let them know tonight”: Parental humor on social media in a time of Coronavirus pandemic

Dafna Lemish, Nelly Elias

Department of Communication Studies

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

A thematic analysis of humor circulating on Israeli social networks during the COVID-19 lockdown reveals challenges that parents faced. Parents (mostly mothers) expressed the hardships of surviving quarantine while taking care of their children. Their humor presents them as helpless, depressed, and even suicidal when they discover that none of their coping mechanisms help them. Grandmothers escaped from caring for their grandchildren, and the relationships with remote schooling are contradictory, at best. Overall, this article highlights the unique role that humor plays as an outlet for parents' anxieties and distress during the pandemic.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	5261-5287
Number of pages	27
Journal	International Journal of Communication
Volume	14
State	Published - 1 Jan 2020

Keywords

COVID-19
Israel
children
coping
grandmothers
humor
image macros
mothers
parenting
school
social media

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Communication

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Cite this

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abstract = "A thematic analysis of humor circulating on Israeli social networks during the COVID-19 lockdown reveals challenges that parents faced. Parents (mostly mothers) expressed the hardships of surviving quarantine while taking care of their children. Their humor presents them as helpless, depressed, and even suicidal when they discover that none of their coping mechanisms help them. Grandmothers escaped from caring for their grandchildren, and the relationships with remote schooling are contradictory, at best. Overall, this article highlights the unique role that humor plays as an outlet for parents' anxieties and distress during the pandemic.",

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N2 - A thematic analysis of humor circulating on Israeli social networks during the COVID-19 lockdown reveals challenges that parents faced. Parents (mostly mothers) expressed the hardships of surviving quarantine while taking care of their children. Their humor presents them as helpless, depressed, and even suicidal when they discover that none of their coping mechanisms help them. Grandmothers escaped from caring for their grandchildren, and the relationships with remote schooling are contradictory, at best. Overall, this article highlights the unique role that humor plays as an outlet for parents' anxieties and distress during the pandemic.

AB - A thematic analysis of humor circulating on Israeli social networks during the COVID-19 lockdown reveals challenges that parents faced. Parents (mostly mothers) expressed the hardships of surviving quarantine while taking care of their children. Their humor presents them as helpless, depressed, and even suicidal when they discover that none of their coping mechanisms help them. Grandmothers escaped from caring for their grandchildren, and the relationships with remote schooling are contradictory, at best. Overall, this article highlights the unique role that humor plays as an outlet for parents' anxieties and distress during the pandemic.

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ER -

“We decided we don't want children. We will let them know tonight”: Parental humor on social media in a time of Coronavirus pandemic

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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