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People stuck in quarantine are making memes, videos, and TikToks about their experiences

QuarantineTikTok
From turtle tic tac toe to solo dance videos, quarantine content is taking over social media. Avery O'Daniel/Matisse Thybulle/TikTok
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As a novel coronavirus continues to spread — reaching over 222,000 confirmed cases worldwide — people are finding themselves confined to their homes and under strict instruction to avoid social gatherings.

The stringent safety measures, however, have given rise to a new genre of online content: quarantine memes. 

Social media is flooded with content finding the humor in people's new, bizarre realities (a search on any platform using the 'quarantine' hashtag yields endless results). 

For many, quarantine has necessitated some unexpected family time.

Sheltering in place with family has proven to be rich material for online content. Creators are referencing "The Office" and even "Parasite," to cope with their new lack of personal space. 

The impending boredom and loneliness of social distancing seems to have given people a new definition of entertainment.

Following days of social isolation, people are posting memes and videos of their newfound quarantine entertainment. 

Jason Euler, a DJ in Arizona, posted a video of his upcoming "plans" after reaching day seven of quarantine with three roommates. 

"We've only gone to the store and that's it," Euler, who goes by Yules, told Insider. "I felt a lot of people in the dance music community could relate!"

Those who don't have roommates to dance with are creating their own content and finding other forms of entertainment. 

Avery O'Daniel, whose TikTok has been shared widely by people joking about their quarantine boredom, said that her "turtle tic-tac-toe" video arose from extreme quarantine boredom. She and her roommates, who frequently wrote in dry erase marker on their turtle's tank, decided to see if they could engage him in a game of tic-tac-toe. 

"I wanted to see if he'd go along with it and he did, surprisingly," O'Daniel told Insider.

Ultimately, the 20-year-old is glad that her video started a trend and provided some entertainment.

"It's kind of giving everyone a little ray of sunshine in all the madness," she said. 

A post shared by @on_a_downward_spiral

@itsmatisse

Me And My Friend Made A Dance Video ##quarantinelife

♬ original sound - itsmatisse

For some, quarantine has become an opportunity to get creative, picking up new hobbies and passions.

Being in lock-down has presented people with a unique opportunity to indulge in new, weird hobbies. 

As Twitter user and editor Julia McCarthy quipped: "The Bubonic Plague's impact resulted in wide-ranging social, economic, cultural, and religious changes. These changes, directly and indirectly, led to the emergence of the Renaissance, one of the greatest epochs for art, architecture, and literature in human history."

Accordingly, people are documenting their new creative experiments, from makeovers to filling bathtubs with colorful objects. 

@jonathanshello

Day 4 of Quarantine. Wine is my new favorite drink🥺

♬ Bathroom Dance - Hildur Guðnadóttir
@brookiebarry

RESULTS from the video I posted last night filling my bathtub with orbez becuase of my boredness ✅ ##coronavirus ##quarantine ##boredom

♬ original sound - brookiebarry

Not everyone, however, is in favor of people exploring new interests during this time of boredom. Actress Nicola Coughman warned her 161,000 Twitter followers of an impending epidemic: more podcasts. 

In the video, Coughman encouraged her fans to stop the spread of podcasts to tell the "Stephens" in their lives that no one is interested in their new pods. 

Love in quarantine has become an amusing challenge for some couples.

Navigating romance in times of crisis has given rise to "love in quarantine" online content. So, naturally, people are dealing with single life, fears of the unknown, or overly close quarters with a partner by turning to the internet for humor. 

Developing quarantine routines and healthy eating habits has also been a meme-worthy challenge.

Quarantine meme content would not be complete without the meticulous documentation of new sleeping and eating habits. As those in quarantine eat to pass time and sleep for the majority of the day, many are seeking solidarity online. 

Read more:

Coronavirus memes are spreading as the disease travels across the world — here's what they look like and why creators say they're important

Self-isolating alone? Animal shelters are encouraging people to foster a pet during the coronavirus pandemic

Jojo changed the lyrics to her hit song 'Leave (Get Out)' and created the ultimate quarantine anthem

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Margot Harris is a junior digital culture reporter at Insider covering influencers, online harassment, viral content, and the culture of online fandoms. She holds a BA in sociology from Brown University and an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University. Email her at mharris@bjinnox.com and follow her on Twitter @MargotSHarris.