As well being communicators, we all know that writing for conduct change is a problem—particularly when suggestions are evolving rapidly and time is of the essence.
With so many individuals fearful about their well being, their family members, and the huge financial impression of shutdowns and quarantines, COVID-19 is not any laughing matter. So memes undoubtedly aren’t the precise match for public well being communication about coronavirus. Proper?
Nicely, it may not be that straightforward, expensive readers! Over the previous few weeks, we’ve seen some memes circulating that educate, have interaction, and add some a lot-wanted levity to a hectic scenario. In that spirit, this week we’re sharing a couple of well timed memes we simply ❤.
Wash Your Lyrics
Early on within the outbreak, good previous handwashing was the secret. Straightforward shortcuts, like telling folks to sing Glad Birthday twice, may also help folks wash their fingers for the really helpful 20 seconds with out watching the clock. However having Glad Birthday caught in your head for a complete 2-week quarantine isn’t good for anybody’s psychological well being.
Thankfully, there are many different 20-second ditties to select from! That’s the thought behind Wash Your Lyrics, a software created by a UK faculty scholar that creates customized handwashing posters for any music your coronary heart wishes—from Dolly Parton to Daft Punk.
Cattening the Curve
Because the outbreak progressed, public well being messaging expanded to extra sophisticated concepts like “flattening the curve.” And that impressed some extra inventive memes!
Everyone knows cats and the web go collectively like peanut butter and jelly. Epidemiologist Dr. Anne Marie Darling is aware of this, too—so she turned a primary “flatten the curve” public well being graph (yawn) into an cute kitty PSA concerning the significance of social distancing.
#QuarantineCats
Now that a lot of the nation is nicely into quarantine territory, memes are rising that play on the brand new regular of day by day life underneath keep-at-residence orders.
The #QuarantineCats Twitter hashtag might not have an apparent public well being objective, however this meme isn’t simply elevating folks’s spirits: it’s additionally a intelligent use of social norming (and cute cat footage) to encourage folks to remain residence and keep away from spreading the virus.
The underside line: COVID-19 is not any joke—however we ❤ how memes can promote conduct change and assist to unfold time-delicate public well being messages.