Scroll and Laugh to Survive: An Overview of Stress Coping  Among Meme Lovers

Silvester Pandu Pramudita; Clara Mika Trisnayani; Yanti; Yonathan Setyawan; Bintang Adrian Arraya Putra Kristiyanto

doi:10.59890/ijeps.v4i2.339

Authors

Silvester Pandu Pramudita Widya Mandala Surabaya Catholic University
Clara Mika Trisnayani Widya Mandala Surabaya Catholic University
Yanti Widya Mandala Surabaya Catholic University
Yonathan Setyawan Widya Mandala Surabaya Catholic University
Bintang Adrian Arraya Putra Kristiyanto Widya Mandala Surabaya Catholic University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59890/ijeps.v4i2.339

Abstract

Stress in adolescents can be understood as an adaptive framework in which adolescents develop coping strategies, one of which is through memes. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of memes in reducing and managing stress experienced by adolescents. The subject of this study consisted of one participant based on the criterion of an adolescent who uses memes as a stress coping mechanism. The data collection technique used a structured interview with a deductive thematic analysis approach. The study concluded that memes can reduce the stress experienced by the subject, based on the divergence aspect observed when the subject watched memes to distract from the stress they were experiencing. In the convergence aspect, the subject felt a connection with the memes viewed; the subject felt that the memes were highly relevant to their situation; and the normalization aspect was marked by the subject feeling that memes could help them calm down and alleviate negative thoughts due to the humor in the memes viewed. Memes are highly effective in reducing the stress experienced by the subjects, as memes contain an element of humor that can divert negative thoughts that may lead to stress. Experimental research using memes can explore stress coping strategies among adolescents in future studies.

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