Social media chain posts are the surprise joy of coronavirus lockdown

I never thought I'd be thankful for 'tag a friend' spam

Social media logos.
(Image credit: Illustrated | iStock)

In addition to taking up baking and Zoom Pilates and gardening, the third of the world's population now living under quarantine is also doing quite a bit of posting. Contrary to what you might expect with so many "Instagram-worthy" cafes and overhanging rocks currently closed, it turns out there is plenty of content you can make in your living room.

Since the start of the outbreak, people have participated in "toilet paper challenges," huffed their way through "pushup challenges," and whisked together "whipped coffee challenges" to be beautifully photographed, then consumed. Under normal circumstances, being "tagged" by a friend to participate in any of these might have landed somewhere between being mildly irritating and outright spam. But since the coronavirus outbreak, staying in touch through memes and viral activities isn't just less annoying than it used to be, it's starting to feel like a whole new form of essential communication.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.