April 15, 2020

Explainer: Day In The Life In Quarantine

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

Uploads of Day in the Life videos rise as people stay home

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.