The 'Don't Touch Your Face' meme gained global prominence during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It satirizes the irony of public health officials and world leaders instructing the public to avoid touching their faces to prevent virus transmission, only to be caught on camera immediately doing exactly that—scratching a nose, licking a finger, or rubbing an eye. One of the most famous instances featured a California health official who licked her finger to turn a page seconds after giving the warning. The meme template is widely used to highlight hypocrisy, the difficulty of breaking subconscious habits, and the awkwardness of being caught in a relatable human moment while under intense public scrutiny.