By: Haili Luevano

In recent months, COVID-19 has not only affected 500,000+ people in the U.S., as of April 12, 2020 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but has also spread across the news and social media.

With quarantine allowing more time for media, news networks have received a rapid increase in attention, as well as various other media platforms. 

“The most influential social media platforms at this time are Facebook, Instagram and TikTok,” said Eli Flodman, a junior from GISH. “With so much free time, one always has to scroll through their phone.”

Most apps and websites offer a complementary warning about COVID-19 when you first log in or open the site, such as TikTok and lesser-known forums such as Sufficient Velocity and SpaceBattles. Pinterest even restricted the search of ‘Coronavirus memes’ in an effort to stop the spread of misinformation and instead replaced all results with posts about how to effectively wash your hands and prevent the growth of the virus.

Even with these restrictions, people are still finding time to make light of the situation in humorous ways. A quick scroll through Tumblr shows the many memes being posted about the coronavirus. The same can be said for TikTok and other YouTube channels that upload content pertaining to the pandemic. 

In addition, the majority of ads of YouTube have been overtaken by various celebrities declaring their support for quarantine and urging others to stay home to lessen the spread of the pandemic. The hashtag #withme has also increased by 600 percent since March 15, according to YouTube. Videos with titles such as “work at home,” “craft with me” and “cook with me” have received an ever-growing amount of views.

“I’ll admit, a few of [the jokes] are kinda funny,” said Autumn Graczyk, a sophomore. “But we could probably stand to dial down the amount of them. I understand that some people cope with situations through humor, but I think the humor should be respectful because for some people this situation is absolutely terrifying.”

Contrasting this, news channels are providing real-time, hard facts over COVID-19. Fox News Channel, MSNBC and CNN, referred to as the “Big Three,” continue to cover this topic the most. They tell of the rapidly-climbing number of cases, as well as the face mask shortage that hospitals and clinics are trying desperately to solve. 

With the mix of content being distributed to the public, it’s easy to confuse humor with horror. 

“I’ve seen some news articles saying how hospitals are needing supplies,” said Beau Studley, art teacher. “Other people are saying everything’s okay and we’re going to be over this in a couple weeks … No one’s really sure how to take it.”

While jokes may help alleviate the tension and help pass the time under the restrictions of quarantine, it’s important to remember that while the threat of COVID-19 is avoidable, it’s still dangerous.

Whether you pass your time watching the news, scrolling through social media posts or doing something else, remember to keep a safe distance from others and take the necessary precautions to keep the community as healthy and safe as possible.

*Photo by Haili Luevano