The eight people you meet on Slack. A look back at March 12, 2020. The semi-sadistic seven-minute workout. Here's why it was O.K. to do what we did.
The article from The New Yorker, published on December 20th, discusses the use of memes as a tool for dissociation, particularly in the context of the holiday season. It highlights how individuals might turn to internet humor to escape the pressures and expectations of the holidays, using memes to find humor in the chaos, connect with others, and momentarily detach from reality. The piece features a daily cartoon by Jason Adam Katzenstein, which humorously captures this theme, showing a character overwhelmed by holiday festivities, choosing instead to engage with a meme on their phone. The article suggests that this form of digital escapism through memes serves as a coping mechanism, providing a light-hearted way to deal with the stress and sometimes overwhelming nature of holiday gatherings and traditions.