In lockdown, parents are mastering the art of the meme. What could go wrong? | Eleanor Margolis

Who thought the family WhatsApp group would alleviate our existential dread? Make no mistake: we’re in strange times• Coronavirus latest updates• See all our coronavirus coverageMy dad’s latest contribution to the family WhatsApp group was a meme. One that he’d forwarded, possibly from another dad. It’s an illustration of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, walking side by side, with the caption: “Back the fuck up Piglet.”It’s not that the global pandemic has caused my 64-year-old father to discover memes; it’s more that he’s now come to truly appreciate them. He tells me he has “20 coming in a day, from various sources”. Like a meme sommelier, he’s become very selective about which ones he forwards to the family thread. And his taste isn’t bad. A little schlocky at times, but surprisingly acceptable for someone of a generation whose online presence is largely defined by jpegs of inspirational quotes and below-the-line bigotry. The overflow he sends to my uncle. I imagine the two of them pinging each other the latest corona content, in a sort of quarantined baby-boomer version of tennis. Continue reading…
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