What it is: Day in the Life videos are videos, often executed in a vlog format, in which people describe their typical daily routines. Since the outbreak of coronavirus has restricted large populations of people to their homes, quarantine-themed Day in the Life videos have emerged as a new variation.
Where it is: While these videos have emerged globally, this analysis focuses specifically on videos with "day in the life" in the title, which biases toward English-dominant countries.
Facts & Figures:
- Creators uploaded over 50,000 Day in the Life videos in 2019.
- Videos with “day in the life” in the title that also reference the global pandemic ("coronavirus," "COVID-19," "social distancing," "quarantine") in the title crossed 100 daily uploads for the first time on March 21.
- Global average daily uploads of videos with “day in the life” in the title have increased by over 85% since March 15, compared to January 1 through March 14.
Uploads of Day in the Life videos rise as people stay home
Daily uploads of videos with "day in the life" in the title
Source: Global YouTube uploads, 1/1/2020- 4/08/2020
Look out for:
Since Day in the Life videos provide a snapshot of people’s daily lives, in aggregate, they offer a view of what the world looks at any moment in time. With Day in the Life videos that relate specifically to life during self-isolation, that aggregated view becomes a record of how the world is dealing with a crisis.
Many Day in the Life videos are titled to reflect a specific occupation or interest (for example, teachers or vanlifers), so it’s further possible to see how our current situation may be affecting groups of people.
Key Videos & Creators:
That Special Educator - Distance Learning - Day In The Life Of A Teacher VLOG Distance learning will be one of this period’s defining features, and this video features a teacher sharing her experiences as a distance educator.
Kylie Zielinskia - a day in the life of a senior doing online school quarantined The flip side of distance learning is being a student. This video gives a glimpse of what that’s like.
5Guy A Day in the Life of College Baseball Player // Quarantine Edition While it isn’t unusual for college athletes to make Day in the Life videos, we get the opportunity to see how COVID-19 has impacted the life of an athlete whose season should be getting underway.
Lockie and Ash A DAY IN THE LIFE CORONA QUARANTINE IN OUR VAN \ VANLIFE EUROPE Based in Austria, this has to be one of the more picturesque quarantines on Earth. Van life is defined by two things: solitude and liberty. Quarantine is easy on the former but must exact a toll on the latter.
DestinysJesus Coronavirus Patient in Quarantine VLOG/ Day in the Life The vast majority of Day in the Life videos feature healthy people living in self-isolation, but this vlog features a young person who is actually diagnosed with coronavirus.