KOCHI: When the 2018 flood froze Kerala, the state’s digital presence was much appreciated. Tech-savvy youngsters took it upon themselves to do everything they can, to help the struggling state. Notable among them, was the transformation that
Malayalam meme pages made—from ridicule, satire and humour, they quickly stepped up to spreading awareness, putting up information on families stranded, and organising thousands of followers to work together.But COVID-19 is nothing like a flood. Instead of going out and taking part, we are all sitting at home, witnessing and anticipating an apocalypse that is slowly carving into our idea of ‘normal’. Many who struggle with mental health issues like depression, loneliness, thanatophobia, and introversion are locked up in their homes, waiting for a silver lining.
Nevertheless, Malayali youngsters with a flair for humour and satire are keeping themselves busy. “There has been quite a spike in the submission of memes during the past week. We received hundreds on Janatha curfew day, and our admins sat through all of them to filter out the bad ones,” says Sharon Austin, a second-year graduate student and admin of @offensiventmalayalammemes which has over 4 lakh followers on Instagram.
When TV channels suspend entertainment shows, and movie theatres shut down, youngsters seem to be falling back on memes. “I think these youngsters are part of a wider online culture of relatable content. On posts that deal with issues like depression, I see people tagging each other. This lets them know they are not alone. Knowing that there are other people going through what you are, gives you the courage to fight it,” says Anand Shan, admin and founder of @dankmemesmalayalam, with over 2.5 lakh followers, who also agrees that there is an increase in submissions in the past few weeks.
He also believes that the average Malayali’s tolerance and ability to take a joke is the reason for internet memes being popular in this state. “We are less likely to get offended, compared to the rest of the country,” he says.
However, the line between a joke and being hurtful is thin. While Anand insists on being 100 percent politically correct, Sharon believes in sending positive messages. “We try to talk about means to overcome this emergency, but also make it humourous and memorable,” he concludes.