The graphic humor in times of coronavirus. Analysis of the memes published in Ecuador between March and May 2020

ABSTRACT

During the sanitary emergency in the worldwide by the COVID-19, we faced a serious scenario. However, as in other situations, the acquaintances memes arise;images, videos or even audios full of humor that, in moments of sadness, anguish, anxiety provide a little relief. Through this qualitative research with an exploratory approach, positive or negative emotions are analyzed, specifically the levels of humor or laughter that these graphic resources generate during the first months of the pandemic in Ecuador. The hypotheses are 1. Memes make people improve their anxiety levels during isolation caused by the health emergency, and 2. There is little acceptance of memes that belong to political figures. The results show that 89.5% of participants improved their anxiety levels after observing this sample of memes. © 2020, Associacao Iberica de Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informacao. All rights reserved.